scholarly journals Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengjin Ye ◽  
Kevin Chiem ◽  
Jun-Gyu Park ◽  
Jesus Silvas ◽  
Desarey Morales Vasquez ◽  
...  

Replication-competent recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes provide valuable tools to investigate viral infection. Low levels of reporter gene expressed from previous reporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2 have jeopardized their use to monitor the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro or in vivo. Here, we report an alternative strategy where reporter genes were placed upstream of the viral nucleocapsid gene followed by a 2A cleavage peptide. The higher levels of reporter expression using this strategy resulted in efficient visualization of rSARS-CoV-2 in infected cultured cells and K18 hACE2 transgenic mice. Importantly, real-time viral infection was readily tracked using a non-invasive in vivo imaging system and allowed us to rapidly identify antibodies which are able to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. Notably, these reporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2 retained wild-type virus like pathogenicity in vivo, supporting their use to investigate viral infection, dissemination, pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in vivo.

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (41) ◽  
pp. e2111593118
Author(s):  
Chengjin Ye ◽  
Kevin Chiem ◽  
Jun-Gyu Park ◽  
Jesus A. Silvas ◽  
Desarey Morales Vasquez ◽  
...  

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the biggest threats to public health. However, the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains poorly understood. Replication-competent recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes provide valuable tools to investigate viral infection. Low levels of reporter gene expressed from previous reporter-expressing recombinant (r)SARS-CoV-2 in the locus of the open reading frame (ORF)7a protein have jeopardized their use to monitor the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro or in vivo. Here, we report an alternative strategy where reporter genes were placed upstream of the highly expressed viral nucleocapsid (N) gene followed by a porcine tescherovirus (PTV-1) 2A proteolytic cleavage site. The higher levels of reporter expression using this strategy resulted in efficient visualization of rSARS-CoV-2 in infected cultured cells and excised lungs or whole organism of infected K18 human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) transgenic mice. Importantly, real-time viral infection was readily tracked using a noninvasive in vivo imaging system and allowed us to rapidly identify antibodies which are able to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. Notably, these reporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2, in which a viral gene was not deleted, not only retained wild-type (WT) virus-like pathogenicity in vivo but also exhibited high stability in vitro and in vivo, supporting their use to investigate viral infection, dissemination, pathogenesis, and therapeutic interventions for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in vivo.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (8) ◽  
pp. 4626-4634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen L. Ward ◽  
Donalyn Scheuner ◽  
Jeremy Poppers ◽  
Randal J. Kaufman ◽  
Ian Mohr ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In animal models of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, ICP34.5-null viruses are avirulent and also fail to grow in a variety of cultured cells due to their inability to prevent RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR)-mediated inhibition of protein synthesis. We show here that the inability of ICP34.5 mutants to grow in vitro is due specifically to the accumulation of phosphorylated eIF2α. Mutations suppressing the in vitro phenotype of ICP34.5-null mutants have been described which map to the unique short region of the HSV-1 genome, resulting in dysregulated expression of the US11 gene. Despite the inability of the suppressor mutation to suppress the avirulent phenotype of the ICP34.5-null parental virus following intracranial inoculation, the suppressor mutation enhanced virus growth in the cornea, trigeminal ganglia, and periocular skin following corneal infection compared to that with the ICP34.5-null virus. The phosphorylation state of eIF2α following in vitro infection with the suppressor virus was examined to determine if in vivo differences could be attributed to differential regulation of eIF2α phosphorylation. The suppressor virus prevented accumulation of phosphorylated eIF2α, while the wild-type virus substantially reduced eIF2α phosphorylation levels. These data suggest that US11 functions as a PKR antagonist in vivo, although its activity may be modulated by tissue-specific differences in translation regulation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Chiem ◽  
María Lorenzo ◽  
Javier Rangel-Moreno ◽  
Maria de la Luz Garcia-Hernandez ◽  
Jun-Gyu Park ◽  
...  

Recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes allow visualization and quantification of viral infections and can be used as valid surrogates to identify the presence of the virus in infected cells and animal models. However, one of the limitations of recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes is the use of either fluorescent or luciferase proteins that are used alternatively for different purposes. Vaccinia virus (VV) is widely used as a viral vector, including recombinant (r)VV singly expressing either fluorescent or luciferase reporter genes that are useful for specific purposes. In this report, we engineered two novel rVV stably expressing both fluorescent (Scarlet or GFP) and luciferase (Nluc) reporter genes from different loci in the viral genome. In vitro, these bi-reporter expressing rVV have similar growth kinetics and plaque phenotype than those of the parental WR VV isolate. In vivo, rVV Nluc/Scarlet and rVV Nluc/GFP effectively infected mice and were easily detected using in vivo imaging systems (IVIS) and ex vivo in the lungs from infected mice. We used these bi-reporter expressing rVV to assess viral pathogenesis, infiltration of immune cells in the lungs, and to directly identify the different subsets of cells infected by VV in the absence of antibody staining. Collectively, these rVV expressing two reporter genes open the feasibility to study the biology of viral infections in vitro and in vivo, including host-pathogen interactions and dynamics or tropism of viral infections. Moreover, they represent an excellent approach for the discovery of new prophylactics and/or therapeutics for the treatment of poxvirus infections.


Author(s):  
M.J. Murphy ◽  
R.R. Price ◽  
J.C. Sloman

The in vitro human tumor cloning assay originally described by Salmon and Hamburger has been applied recently to the investigation of differential anti-tumor drug sensitivities over a broad range of human neoplasms. A major problem in the acceptance of this technique has been the question of the relationship between the cultured cells and the original patient tumor, i.e., whether the colonies that develop derive from the neoplasm or from some other cell type within the initial cell population. A study of the ultrastructural morphology of the cultured cells vs. patient tumor has therefore been undertaken to resolve this question. Direct correlation was assured by division of a common tumor mass at surgical resection, one biopsy being fixed for TEM studies, the second being rapidly transported to the laboratory for culture.


Author(s):  
N.K.R. Smith ◽  
K.E. Hunter ◽  
P. Mobley ◽  
L.P. Felpel

Electron probe energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (XRMA) offers a powerful tool for the determination of intracellular elemental content of biological tissue. However, preparation of the tissue specimen , particularly excitable central nervous system (CNS) tissue , for XRMA is rather difficult, as dissection of a sample from the intact organism frequently results in artefacts in elemental distribution. To circumvent the problems inherent in the in vivo preparation, we turned to an in vitro preparation of astrocytes grown in tissue culture. However, preparations of in vitro samples offer a new and unique set of problems. Generally, cultured cells, growing in monolayer, must be harvested by either mechanical or enzymatic procedures, resulting in variable degrees of damage to the cells and compromised intracel1ular elemental distribution. The ultimate objective is to process and analyze unperturbed cells. With the objective of sparing others from some of the same efforts, we are reporting the considerable difficulties we have encountered in attempting to prepare astrocytes for XRMA.Tissue cultures of astrocytes from newborn C57 mice or Sprague Dawley rats were prepared and cultured by standard techniques, usually in T25 flasks, except as noted differently on Cytodex beads or on gelatin. After different preparative procedures, all samples were frozen on brass pins in liquid propane, stored in liquid nitrogen, cryosectioned (0.1 μm), freeze dried, and microanalyzed as previously reported.


Author(s):  
E. D. Salmon ◽  
J. C. Waters ◽  
C. Waterman-Storer

We have developed a multi-mode digital imaging system which acquires images with a cooled CCD camera (Figure 1). A multiple band pass dichromatic mirror and robotically controlled filter wheels provide wavelength selection for epi-fluorescence. Shutters select illumination either by epi-fluorescence or by transmitted light for phase contrast or DIC. Many of our experiments involve investigations of spindle assembly dynamics and chromosome movements in live cells or unfixed reconstituted preparations in vitro in which photodamage and phototoxicity are major concerns. As a consequence, a major factor in the design was optical efficiency: achieving the highest image quality with the least number of illumination photons. This principle applies to both epi-fluorescence and transmitted light imaging modes. In living cells and extracts, microtubules are visualized using X-rhodamine labeled tubulin. Photoactivation of C2CF-fluorescein labeled tubulin is used to locally mark microtubules in studies of microtubule dynamics and translocation. Chromosomes are labeled with DAPI or Hoechst DNA intercalating dyes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-142
Author(s):  
Priyanka Kriplani ◽  
Kumar Guarve

Background: Arnica montana, containing helenalin as its principal active constituent, is the most widely used plant to treat various ailments. Recent studies indicate that Arnica and helenalin provide significant health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, immunomodulatory, and most important, anti-cancer properties. Objective: The objective of the present study is to overview the recent patents of Arnica and its principal constituent helenalin, including new methods of isolation, and their use in the prevention of cancer and other ailments. Methods: Current prose and patents emphasizing the anti-cancer potential of helenalin and Arnica, incorporated as anti-inflammary agents in anti-cancer preparations, have been identified and reviewed with particular emphasis on their scientific impact and novelty. Results: Helenalin has shown its anti-cancer potential to treat multiple types of tumors, both in vitro and in vivo. It has also portrayed synergistic effects when given in combination with other anti- cancer drugs or natural compounds. New purification/isolation techniques are also developing with novel helenalin formulations and its synthetic derivatives have been developed to increase its solubility and bioavailability. Conclusion: The promising anti-cancer potential of helenalin in various preclinical studies may open new avenues for therapeutic interventions in different tumors. Thus clinical trials validating its tumor suppressing and chemopreventive activities, particularly in conjunction with standard therapies, are immediately required.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yipengchen Yin ◽  
Yongjing Li ◽  
Sheng Wang ◽  
Ziliang Dong ◽  
Chao Liang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The recently developed biomimetic strategy is one of the mostly effective strategies for improving the theranostic efficacy of diverse nanomedicines, because nanoparticles coated with cell membranes can disguise as “self”, evade the surveillance of the immune system, and accumulate to the tumor sites actively. Results Herein, we utilized mesenchymal stem cell memabranes (MSCs) to coat polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) nanoparticles loaded with Fe(III) and cypate—an derivative of indocyanine green to fabricate Cyp-PMAA-Fe@MSCs, which featured high stability, desirable tumor-accumulation and intriguing photothermal conversion efficiency both in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of lung cancer. After intravenous administration of Cyp-PMAA-Fe@MSCs and Cyp-PMAA-Fe@RBCs (RBCs, red blood cell membranes) separately into tumor-bearing mice, the fluorescence signal in the MSCs group was 21% stronger than that in the RBCs group at the tumor sites in an in vivo fluorescence imaging system. Correspondingly, the T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal at the tumor site decreased 30% after intravenous injection of Cyp-PMAA-Fe@MSCs. Importantly, the constructed Cyp-PMAA-Fe@MSCs exhibited strong photothermal hyperthermia effect both in vitro and in vivo when exposed to 808 nm laser irradiation, thus it could be used for photothermal therapy. Furthermore, tumors on mice treated with phototermal therapy and radiotherapy shrank 32% more than those treated with only radiotherapy. Conclusions These results proved that Cyp-PMAA-Fe@MSCs could realize fluorescence/MRI bimodal imaging, while be used in phototermal-therapy-enhanced radiotherapy, providing desirable nanoplatforms for tumor diagnosis and precise treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii214-ii214
Author(s):  
Jenna Minami ◽  
Nicholas Bayley ◽  
Christopher Tse ◽  
Henan Zhu ◽  
Danielle Morrow ◽  
...  

Abstract Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, and malignant cells must acquire metabolic adaptations to fuel neoplastic progression. Mutations or changes in metabolic gene expression can impose nutrient dependencies in tumors, and even in the absence of metabolic defects, cancer cells can become auxotrophic for particular nutrients or metabolic byproducts generated by other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Conventional cell lines do not recapitulate the metabolic heterogeneity of glioblastoma (GBM), while primary cultured cells do not account for the influences of the microenvironment and the blood brain barrier on tumor biology. Additionally, these systems are under strong selective pressure divergent from that in vivo, leading to reduced heterogeneity between cultured tumor cells. Here, we describe a biobank of direct-from-patient derived orthotopic xenografts (GliomaPDOX) and gliomaspheres that reveal a subset of gliomas that, while able to form in vivo, cannot survive in vitro. RNA sequencing of tumors that can form both in vivo and in vitro (termed “TME-Indifferent”) compared to that of tumors that can only form in vivo (termed “TME-Dependent”) revealed transcriptional changes associated with altered nutrient availability, emphasizing the unique metabolic programs impacted by the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, TME-dependent tumors lack metabolic signatures associated with nutrient biosynthesis, thus indicating a potential dependency of these tumors on scavenging specific nutrients from the extracellular milieu. Collectively, these data emphasize the metabolic heterogeneity within GBM, and reveal a subset of gliomas that lack metabolic plasticity, indicating a potential brain-microenvironment specific metabolic dependency that can be targeted for therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shojiro Katoh ◽  
Atsuki Fujimaru ◽  
Masaru Iwasaki ◽  
Hiroshi Yoshioka ◽  
Rajappa Senthilkumar ◽  
...  

AbstractRegenerative medicine applications require cells that are not inflicted with senescence after in vitro culture for an optimal in vivo outcome. Methods to overcome replicative senescence include genomic modifications which have their own disadvantages. We have evaluated a three-dimensional (3D) thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP) matrix environment for its capabilities to reverse cellular senescence. The expression of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-βgal) by human chondrocytes from osteoarthritis-affected cartilage tissue, grown in a conventional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture versus in 3D-TGP were compared. In 2D, the cells de-differentiated into fibroblasts, expressed higher SA-βgal and started degenerating at 25 days. SA-βgal levels decreased when the chondrocytes were transferred from the 2D to the 3D-TGP culture, with cells exhibiting a tissue-like growth until 42–45 days. Other senescence associated markers such as p16INK4a and p21 were also expressed only in 2D cultured cells but not in 3D-TGP tissue engineered cartilage. This is a first-of-its-kind report of a chemically synthesized and reproducible in vitro environment yielding an advantageous reversal of aging of human chondrocytes without any genomic modifications. The method is worth consideration as an optimal method for growing cells for regenerative medicine applications.


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