Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Ultrastructural characterization of SARS coronavirus.

Cynthia S Goldsmith1, Kathleen M Tatti, Thomas G Ksiazek

  • 1Infectious Disease Pathology Activity, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. cgoldsmith@cdc.gov

Emerging Infectious Diseases
|March 20, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Seroprevalence of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella-Zoster Virus Antibodies-United States, 2017-March 2020.

The Journal of infectious diseases·2026
Same author

Public Awareness and Acceptance of Wastewater Surveillance in the United States, June 2024.

Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)·2026
Same author

Measles Update - United States, January 1-April 17, 2025.

MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report·2025
Same author

Immunogenicity and safety of a measles and rubella-containing vaccine at age 6 and 9 months in Bangladesh: an open-label, randomised trial.

The Lancet. Child & adolescent health·2025
Same author

Continued elimination of measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in the United States, January 2022-June 2024.

Vaccine·2025
Same author

The measles virus matrix F50S mutation from a lethal case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis promotes receptor-independent neuronal spread.

Journal of virology·2024

Electron microscopy identified unique ultrastructural features in cells infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus. These findings were crucial for identifying the SARS virus and guiding further research.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Microbiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • The 2002-2003 global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused significant mortality.
  • The etiologic agent was initially suspected to be a coronavirus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the causative agent of SARS using electron microscopy.
  • To characterize the ultrastructural features of SARS-associated coronavirus infection.

Main Methods:

  • Thin-section electron microscopy of virus isolates and patient samples.
  • Ultrastructural immunogold assays.
  • In situ hybridization assays.

Main Results:

  • Spherical virions (78 nm mean diameter) with helical nucleocapsids and surface projections were observed.

Related Experiment Videos

  • SARS-associated coronavirus infection induced distinct cellular ultrastructures: double-membrane vesicles, nucleocapsid inclusions, and large granular cytoplasmic areas.
  • Viral proteins and RNA were localized within these structures and coronavirus particles.

    • Conclusions:

    • Electron microscopy was pivotal in identifying the SARS-associated coronavirus.
    • The observed ultrastructural changes are characteristic of SARS-CoV infection.
    • These findings facilitated subsequent laboratory and epidemiological investigations into the SARS outbreak.