Electron Microscopy in Discovery of Novel and Emerging Viruses from the Collection of the World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA)

Vsevolod L Popov; Robert B Tesh; Scott C Weaver; Nikos Vasilakis

doi:10.3390/v11050477

Electron Microscopy in Discovery of Novel and Emerging Viruses from the Collection of the World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA)

Viruses. 2019 May 25;11(5):477. doi: 10.3390/v11050477.

Authors

Vsevolod L Popov^{1

2

3

4

5}, Robert B Tesh^{6

7

8

9

10}, Scott C Weaver^{11

12

13

14

15}, Nikos Vasilakis^{16

17

18

19

20}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. vpopov@utmb.edu.
² Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. vpopov@utmb.edu.
³ Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. vpopov@utmb.edu.
⁴ Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. vpopov@utmb.edu.
⁵ World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. vpopov@utmb.edu.
⁶ Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. rtesh@utmb.edu.
⁷ Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. rtesh@utmb.edu.
⁸ Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. rtesh@utmb.edu.
⁹ Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. rtesh@utmb.edu.
¹⁰ World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. rtesh@utmb.edu.
¹¹ Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. sweaver@utmb.edu.
¹² Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. sweaver@utmb.edu.
¹³ Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. sweaver@utmb.edu.
¹⁴ World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. sweaver@utmb.edu.
¹⁵ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. sweaver@utmb.edu.
¹⁶ Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. nivasila@utmb.edu.
¹⁷ Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. nivasila@utmb.edu.
¹⁸ Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. nivasila@utmb.edu.
¹⁹ Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. nivasila@utmb.edu.
²⁰ World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. nivasila@utmb.edu.

Abstract

Since the beginning of modern virology in the 1950s, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been an important and widely used technique for discovery, identification and characterization of new viruses. Using TEM, viruses can be differentiated by their ultrastructure: shape, size, intracellular location and for some viruses, by the ultrastructural cytopathic effects and/or specific structures forming in the host cell during their replication. Ultrastructural characteristics are usually sufficient for the identification of a virus to the family level. In this review, we summarize 25 years of experience in identification of novel viruses from the collection of the World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA).

Keywords: electron microscopy; virus discovery; virus taxonomy; virus ultrastructure.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Arbovirus Infections / virology*
Arboviruses / classification
Arboviruses / ultrastructure*
Chlorocebus aethiops
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / virology*
Humans
Microscopy, Electron
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Vero Cells

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding