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Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with the Vero cell lines by scanning electron microscopy

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Abstract

In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the cell structure of SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. Our measurements revealed infection remodeling caused by infection, including the emergence of new specialized areas where viral morphogenesis occurs at the cell membrane. Intercellular extensions for viral cell surfing have also been observed. Our results expand knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with cells, its spread from cell to cell, and their size distribution. Our findings suggest that SEM is a useful microscopic method for intracellular ultrastructure analysis of cells exhibiting specific surface modifications that could also be applied to studying other important biological processes.

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Funding

This work was supported by TAČR GAMA II project Software for virus detection from electron microscopy images and related methodological procedures (TP01010032).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Rokitanského 62, Hradec Králové, 500 03, Czech Republic

    Zuzana Malá, Marek Vojta & Jan Loskot

  2. Department of Epidemiology, University of Defencein Brno, Třebešská, 1575, 500 02, Czech Republic

    Radek Sleha

  3. Department of Informatics and Quantitative Methods, University of Hradec Králové, Rokitanského 62, Hradec Králové, 500 03, Czech Republic

    Bruno Ježek

  4. Department of Recreology and Tourism, University of Hradec Králové, Rokitanského 62, Hradec Králové, 500 03, Czech Republic

    Josef Zelenka

Authors
  1. Zuzana Malá
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  2. Marek Vojta
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  3. Jan Loskot
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  4. Radek Sleha
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  5. Bruno Ježek
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  6. Josef Zelenka
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Contributions

Zuzana Malá and Marek Vojta performed the experiments. Josef Zelenka was involved in planning and supervised the experiments. Zuzana Malá processed the experimental data, performed the analysis, drafted the manuscript. Radek Sleha prepared and infected Vero cells by SARS_CoV_2. Jan Loskot and Bruno Ježek performed the statistical analysis. Zuzana Malá wrote the manuscript. All authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zuzana Malá.

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The authors declare no competing interests. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial and non-financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Malá, Z., Vojta, M., Loskot, J. et al. Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with the Vero cell lines by scanning electron microscopy. J Biol Phys 49, 383–392 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-023-09638-y

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