Use of subgenomic poliovirus DNA hybridization probes to detect the major subgroups of enteroviruses.

Three nucleic acid hybridization probes were derived from DNA clones of the poliovirus type 1 genome. Used in dot hybridization experiments, the probes successfully detected members of each of the major enteroviral subgroups. The hybridization patterns obtained with the three probes suggested that a highly conserved nucleotide sequence existed among the enteroviruses tested, mapping between bases 220 and 1809 in the poliovirus genome. Two new antiviral agents capable of inhibiting enterovirus replication in tissue culture were used to demonstrate the specificity of the probes for viral RNA.