Imaging viral behavior in Mammalian cells with self-assembled capsid-quantum-dot hybrid particles.
Unique spectral properties of quantum dots (QDs) enable ultrasensitive and long-term biolabeling. Aiming to trace the infection, movement, and localization of viruses in living cells, QD-containing virus-like particles (VLPs) of simian virus 40 (SV40), termed SVLP-QDs, are constructed by in vitro self-assembly of the major capsid protein of SV40. SVLP-QDs show homogeneity in size ( approximately 24 nm), similarity in spectral properties to unencapsidated QDs, and considerable stability. When incubated with living cells, SVLP-QDs are shown to enter the cells by caveolar endocytosis, travel along the microtubules, and accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum. This process mimics the early infection steps of SV40. This is the first paradigm of imaging viral behaviors with encapsidated QDs in living cells. The method may provide a new alternative for various purposes, such as tracing viruses or viral components, targeted nanoparticle delivery, and probing of drug delivery.
Li
Feng
F
State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology Chinese Academy of Sciences No.44, Xiaohongshan, Wuhan 430071, China.
Zhang
Zhi-Ping
ZP
Peng
Jun
J
Cui
Zong-Qiang
ZQ
Pang
Dai-Wen
DW
Li
Ke
K
Wei
Hong-Ping
HP
Zhou
Ya-Feng
YF
Wen
Ji-Kai
JK
Zhang
Xian-En
XE
D000818:Animals; D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000166:cytology*