FIG 2.

Detection of rcDNA of WHVNY and WHV7 in serum samples harvested from WHV7 chronic carrier woodchucks superinfected with strain WHVNY. The isolation of rcDNA and conventional nested WHV strain-specific PCR assays are described in Materials and Methods. Serum samples were collected at 1 week prior to the superinfection with WHVNY (week −1), immediately before the superinfection (week 0), and every week after the superinfection for the next 6 weeks (weeks 1 to 6). The time of the sample collection is shown at the bottom of each panel. The PCR products were analyzed in 1% agarose gels stained with ethidium bromide. Each gel image represents the analysis of serum samples collected from one woodchuck. The woodchucks are identified at the left. Results of WHVNY-specific PCR assay (A) and WHV7-specific PCR assay (B) are shown. The strain-specific PCR products are indicated with arrows on the right. The expected sizes of the final nested PCR products were 1,384 bp for WHVNY and 1,402 bp for WHV7. The serum sample-derived PCR products are indicated at the top. The control samples are the following: B1, no template; C1, 2.0 × 10⁷ GE of WHV7 DNA standard (plasmid pJSWHV7-2C6); C2, 2.0 GE of WHVNY DNA standard (plasmid pJSWHVNY-4C4); C3, 2.0 × 10⁸ GE of WHVNY DNA standard; and C4, 2.0 × 10³ GE of WHV7 DNA standard. The DNA size markers are shown on the left (lanes labeled M).