FIG. 6.

Detection of HDV RNA recombinants with an RNase protection assay. Probes specific to the HDV RNA recombinant with the crossover region located at nt 1159 to 1207 were synthesized in vitro, hybridized with various RNA samples, and subjected to RNase digestion for detection of the HDV RNA recombinants. Lanes 7 to 12 represent the results of a longer exposure of the data shown in lanes 1 to 6. Lanes: 1 and 7, no-target, no-RNase control lanes corresponding to the full-length probe; 2 and 8, probe hybridized with a complementary in vitro-transcribed HDV RNA; 3 and 9, probe hybridized to RNA samples extracted from cotransfected cultured cells; 4 and 10, probe hybridized to RNA samples extracted from untransfected cells; 5 and 11, probe hybridized to mixtures of in vitro-transcribed genotype I and IIb RNAs; 6 and 12, probe hybridized to mixtures of total RNA extracted from cells independently transfected with genotype I and IIb HDV RNAs. The probe and protected bands are schematically depicted on the right. The genotype I, genotype IIb, and vector sequences are indicated by a closed box, open box, and thin line, respectively.