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Journal of Virology, September 2009, p. 9018-9021, Vol. 83, No. 17
0022-538X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00971-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Is Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism Analysis of the Full 5' Untranslated Region an Adequate Approach To Study Hepatitis C Virus Quasispecies Distribution? {triangledown}

Jorge Vera-Otarola,1,# María Inés Barría,1,# Ursula León,1 Pilar Carvallo,3 Alejandro Soza,2 and Marcelo López-Lastra1*

Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, and Jeune Equipe Associée à l'IRD, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 391, Santiago, Chile,1 Departamento de Gastroenterología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 367, Santiago, Chile,2 Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Portugal 49, Santiago, Chile3

Received 14 May 2009/ Accepted 16 June 2009

Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis is used by many laboratories to study the quasispecies distribution of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Here we question the validity of this experimental approach, as conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the migration patterns of two ssDNA molecules and not from RNA. Using previously characterized mutants of the HCV 5' untranslated regions, we show that contrary to what has been predicted, SSCP migration patterns of DNA amplicons with differences in their nucleotide sequences generated from the full 5' UTR of HCV are not necessarily unique.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 391, Santiago, Chile. Phone: 56 2 354 3410. Fax: 56 2 638 7457. E-mail: malopez{at}med.puc.cl

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 24 June 2009.

# These authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Journal of Virology, September 2009, p. 9018-9021, Vol. 83, No. 17
0022-538X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00971-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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