Effect to tween 80 and aquasol A on virus plaque formation

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) plaque assays are crucial for viral quantification.
• Optimizing conditions for plaque enhancement can improve assay sensitivity and accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the enhancement of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) plaque formation using Tween 80 and Aquasol A.
• To determine the optimal conditions for this enhancement, specifically the timing of additive application.
• To assess the specificity of this enhancement across different cell lines and viruses.

Main Methods:

• VSV plaque assays were performed on human embryonic lung cells.
• Tween 80 and Aquasol A were added to cell cultures at different time points relative to virus adsorption.
• The number and size of viral plaques were measured.
• Experiments were repeated with other viruses (vaccinia virus, Friend leukemia virus) and cell systems (chicken embryo cells, S+L- cells).

Main Results:

• Both Tween 80 and Aquasol A significantly enhanced VSV plaque numbers and sizes when added 30 minutes prior to virus adsorption.
• No enhancement was observed when these substances were added after virus adsorption.
• These additives did not directly affect the virus, its adsorption, or penetration.
• Enhancement was cell- and virus-specific; VSV plating efficiency was not enhanced on chicken embryo cells, and vaccinia virus was not enhanced on human embryonic lung cells.
• The most significant enhancement was observed for Friend leukemia virus plating efficiency on S+L- cells.

Conclusions:

• The timing of additive application is critical for enhancing VSV plaque formation.
• The observed enhancement is dependent on the specific virus-cell system.
• Tween 80 and Aquasol A can be valuable tools for optimizing viral plaque assays in specific contexts.