Detection of homologous DNA sequences in animal adenoviruses by polymerase chain reaction.

A primer pair originally designed for the universal detection of human adenovirus (HAV) serotypes of all subgenera was modified then tested and found feasible for the detection of different bovine, ovine, and porcine adenovirus (BAV, OAV, and PAV, respectively) serotypes. Apparently, in the examined viruses, parts of the DNA sequence coding for the basal part of the hexon protein are conserved enough for being applicable in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as primers. Positive amplification could be obtained even from the so-called subgroup 2 BAVs, which viruses do not cross react with HAVs or subgroup 1 BAVs in Southern hybridisation.