title: Ruthenium red preserves glycoprotein peplomers of C-type retroviruses for transmission electron microscopy.
abstract: Peplomers, the glycoprotein projections of the outer viral envelope, are distinctive for many viruses. Peplomers of retroviral C-type particles are fragile and are not preserved in standard preparations for transmission electron microscopy of thin sections, whereas the peplomers of B- and D- type retroviruses are usually preserved. Ruthenium red, extensively used in transmission electron microscopy to enhance the preservation of glycosylated proteins, was used in the preparation of three retrovirus-producing lymphoblastoid cell lines: murine SC-1 cells producing the C-type murine leukemia retrovirus LP-BM5 that causes immunodeficiency, human DG-75 cells producing a murine leukemia retrovirus, and human C5/MJ cells producing human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I). Fixation of cells was carried out with ruthenium red present in the glutaraldehyde, osmium tetroxide, and the ethanol dehydration through the 70% ethanol step. The detailed structure of peplomers of these three different viruses was well preserved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Fassel
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Raisch
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chetty
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Grossberg
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Kushnaryov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004396:Coloring Agents; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012430:Ruthenium Red; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D006023:Glycoproteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D012430:Ruthenium Red