Illuminating the Sites of Enterovirus Replication in Living Cells by Using a Split-GFP-Tagged Viral Protein

van der Schaar, H. M.; Melia, C. E.; van Bruggen, J. A. C.; Strating, J. R. P. M.; van Geenen, M. E. D.; Koster, A. J.; Bárcena, M.; van Kuppeveld, F. J. M.

KEYWORDS: correlative light electron microscopy, enterovirus, live-cell imaging, viral replication T he Enterovirus genus of the Picornaviridae family comprises many human pathogens, such as poliovirus, coxsackievirus A and B, enterovirus 68, enterovirus 71, and rhinovirus, which can cause a wide spectrum of illnesses (1) . Being obligate intracellular parasites, enteroviruses rely on the machineries of their host cell for propagation. Like all other viruses that carry a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome, enteroviruses redecorate the cell's interior to form new membranous structures that serve as a platform for viral RNA replication (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) . These structures may aid in concentrating as well as in conferring the proper topology of all required components for genome replication. Furthermore, it has been suggested that they can shield viral RNA products from degradation by cellular RNases or from detection by sensors of the innate immune system (7, 8) .