title: Virus particles monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy: a potential detection assay for macromolecular assembly.
abstract: Native fluorescence spectroscopy was used for in situ investigations of two lipid-containing bacteriophages from the cystovirus family as well as their Pseudomonad host cells. Both the viruses phi6 and phi12 and their bacterial host proteins contain the amino acid tryptophan (trp), which is the predominant fluorophore in UV. Within proteins, trp's structural environment differs, and the differences are reflected in their spectroscopic signatures. It was observed that the peak of the trp emission from both viruses was at 330 nm, a significantly shorter wavelength than trp in either the Pseudomonad host cells or the amino acid's chemical form. This allowed us to monitor the viral attachment process and subsequent lytic release of progeny virus particles by measurement of the trp emission spectra during the infection process. This work demonstrates that fluorescence may offer a novel tool to detect viruses and monitor viral infection of cells and may be part of a biodefense application.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, The City College of New York, Convent Avenue and 137th Street, New York, NY 10031, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alimova
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Rakhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Podder
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minko
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017910:Cystoviridae / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011548:Pseudomonadaceae / Q000821:virology; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods