Genotyping of clinical herpes simplex virus type 1 isolates by use of restriction enzymes

Recently, three distinct genotypes of clinical herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) isolates were identified based on DNA sequence information and phylogenetic analysis of clinical isolates and laboratory strains. We utilized single-nucleotide polymorphism within the genes coding for glycoproteins G and I for rapid genotype classification by PCR and restriction enzyme cleavage. The method is suitable for high-scale genotyping of clinical HSV-1 isolates and for the detection of recombinants.