We have sequenced four major glycoproteins in eight isolates of VZV

We have sequenced four major glycoproteins in eight isolates of VZV. The figure shows two differences that we found between the previously sequenced dumas strain and the Oka strain in the glycoprotein gL. The Oka strain is an attenuated strain used in the chickenpox vaccine.

The first change is an insertion of an ATG between codons 9 and 10. This creates an additional start sight for translation. The second change is a G changed to an A in codon 107 which causes an amino acid change of glycine to an aspartic acid.

Mutations like these are allowing us to group various strains together. When a mutation similar to the second change shown is shared in more then one strain, it is considered a single nucliotide polymorphism (or SNP). Groups of virus that have similar alleles at these SNPs are considered related evolutionarily.