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Open-source Single-particle Analysis for Super-resolution Microscopy with VirusMapper
Published on: April 9, 2017
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VirusMapper: open-source nanoscale mapping of viral architecture through super-resolution microscopy
Robert D M Gray1,2, Corina Beerli1, Pedro Matos Pereira1,3
1MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology. University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
Scientific Reports
|July 5, 2016
Summary
New software, VirusMapper, enables precise nanoscale mapping of viral structures using super-resolution microscopy. This tool aids in understanding virus assembly and infection dynamics at the molecular level.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Microscopy
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Mammalian virus nanoscale molecular assembly during infection is poorly understood.
- Limitations of electron microscopy for dynamic studies.
- Advancements in super-resolution (SR) light microscopy offer molecular specificity and live-cell imaging capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop robust analytical tools for precise mapping of viral structures during infection.
- To introduce an open-source framework combining SR imaging and single-particle analysis for unbiased molecular modeling.
Main Methods:
- Development of VirusMapper, an ImageJ-based software package.
- Utilizing super-resolution imaging techniques (SIM, STED).
- Employing naïve single-particle analysis for automatic statistical mapping.
Main Results:
- VirusMapper enables high-throughput, user-friendly analysis of viral structures.
- Demonstrated usability on vaccinia virus (VACV) images.
- Generated accurate, high-content, molecular-specific virion models and detected nanoscale architectural changes.
Conclusions:
- VirusMapper provides a novel solution for analyzing nanoscale viral architecture.
- Facilitates understanding of virus assembly and infection dynamics.
- Enables detection of subtle changes in viral structure at the nanoscale.
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