Imaging Early Steps of Sindbis Virus Infection by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

Sindbis virus (SINV) is an alphavirus that has a broad host range and has been widely used as a vector for recombinant gene transduction, DNA-based vaccine production, and oncolytic cancer therapy. The mechanism of SINV entry into host cells has yet to be fully understood. In this paper, we used sin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Youling Gu, Yuanzheng Yang, Yuechueng Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Advances in Virology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/535206
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Sindbis virus (SINV) is an alphavirus that has a broad host range and has been widely used as a vector for recombinant gene transduction, DNA-based vaccine production, and oncolytic cancer therapy. The mechanism of SINV entry into host cells has yet to be fully understood. In this paper, we used single virus tracking under total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) to investigate SINV attachment to cell surface. Biotinylated viral particles were labeled with quantum dots, which retained viral viability and infectivity. By time-lapse imaging, we showed that the SINV exhibited a heterogeneous dynamics on the surface of the host cells. Analysis of SINV motility demonstrated a two-step attachment reaction. Moreover, dual color TIRFM of GFP-Rab5 and SINV suggested that the virus was targeted to the early endosomes after endocytosis. These findings demonstrate the utility of quantum dot labeling in studying the early steps and behavior of SINV infection.
ISSN:1687-8639
1687-8647