The Vutara single-molecule localization system has been a critical instrument for understanding viral particles. Viral particles are typically much smaller than the diffraction limit of light (<200 nm), making single-molecule localization microscopy the best suited fluorescence technique for resolving virus particle structural details or determining localization of virus components with the cellular machinery. Below we highlight the key features of the Vutara for virus research.
Below we highlight virus research performed on the Vutara. The unique ability to perform single-molecule localization of virus samples at both the coverslip and deep within tissue sections makes the Vutara the only system capable of imaging virus particle structures, virus particle host cell interactions, and effects of virus infection on cell biology on the same microscope. At the bottom of the page you can find some highlighted virus research papers performed with the Vutara super-resolution microscope.
Vutara Viral Studies:
Alonas, E., Lifland, A.W., Gudheti, M., Vanover, D., Jung, J., Zurla, C., Kirschman, J., Fiore, V.F., Douglas, A., Barker, T.H., Yi, H., Wright, E.R., Crowe, J.E., Santangelo, P.J., 2014. Combining Single RNA Sensitive Probes with Subdiffraction-Limited and Live-Cell Imaging Enables the Characterization of Virus Dynamics in Cells. ACS Nano 8, 302–315. doi.org/10.1021/nn405998v
The authors developed tools to study the early infectivity and replication of enveloped viruses.
Tiwari, P.M., Vanover, D., Lindsay, K.E., Bawage, S.S., Kirschman, J.L., Bhosle, S., Lifland, A.W., Zurla, C., Santangelo, P.J., 2018. Engineered mRNA-expressed antibodies prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection. Nature Communications 9, 1–15. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06508-3
The authors used the Vutara microscope to determine the mechanism of action of the therapeutic antibody, palivizumab, on RSV infections.
Milrot, E., Shimoni, E., Dadosh, T., Rechav, K., Unger, T., Etten, J.L.V., Minsky, A., 2017. Structural studies demonstrating a bacteriophage-like replication cycle of the eukaryote-infecting Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus-1. PLOS Pathogens 13, e1006562. doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006562
The authors used the Vutara to determine the effects of viral infection on cytoskeletal structure. From this they determined that the actin cytoskeleton plays a critical role in viral infectivity.
Virus researchers may also be interested in the live cell and single-molecule particle tracking capabilities of the Vutara. The Vutara is fully capable of both live cell single-molecule imaging of cellular structures such as organelles and single-molecule particle tracking. Uniquely, the Vutara is also capable of combining these two techniques to do particle tracking in conjunction with cellular structure imaging.
Please refer to the live cell web page and the Vutara live cell webinar to learn more about live cell imaging with the Vutara microscope and SRX software.