Standardization of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) for discrimination of Victoria and Yamagata lineages of influenza B

► We identified in HA one region with distinct Tm for Victoria and Yamagata lineages. ► Primers flanking this region were designed, generating clamped products with 231 bp. ► We standardized a DGGE protocol to characterize influenza B lineages. ► The characterization based on DGGE agreed perfectly with phylogenetic results.