This work was funded by both the&#160;Canadian Institutes of Health Research&#160;and&#160;Natural Sciences and the Engineering Research Council of Canada. M. Bisaillon is a Chercheur Boursier Senior from the Fonds de Recherche en Sant&#233; du Qu&#233;bec and also a member of the Centre de Recherche Clinique du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke. We thank Dr. Ralf Bartenschlager for the generous gift of the HCV replicon system. We also thank Dr. Charles Rice and Dr. Daniel Lamarre for kindly providing the hepatic cell line. We also want to thank Guillaume Tremblay for technical assistance.

1. Cells Preparation and Treatment
<ol>
	<li>In a 24-well plate, put a glass cover at the bottom of the wells. Wash each well with Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS).</li>
	<li>Seed Huh-7 cells supporting HCV subgenomic replicon in each well to a density of 5&#160;&#215;&#160;104&#160;cells/well. If there is no treatment to do, the cells can be seeded at a higher density. The culture medium is Dulbecco&#8217;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS), 2mM L-glutamine, 1 mM sodium pyruvate and 250 mg/ml G-418 (to maintain the replicon).</li>
	<li>Incubate at 37 &#176;C and 5 % CO2. The next day, treat the cells with 3 &#181;M of hLF purified from human milk.</li>
</ol>
2. Paraformaldehyde/Sucrose Preparation (12%PAF and 12% sucrose)
<ol>
	<li>Put 500 ml of PBS in a beaker and heat it between 20 &#176;C and 30 &#176;C. Dissolve 60 g of sucrose in the PBS. Dissolve 60 g of paraformaldehyde (PAF) in the PBS/sucrose solution. Slowly add NaOH 2N (3 to 7 ml) until a clear solution is obtained.</li>
	<li>Adjust pH to 7.4 with HCl. Complete volume to 500 ml with PBS. Filter by gravity on Whatman filter. Before use, dilute the solution with PBS to a final concentration of 4% PAF and 4% sucrose (Storage 4 &#176;C for 1 week maximum).</li>
</ol>
3. Immunofluorescence
<ol>
	<li>At the desired time (0 hr, 2 hr or 24 hr of treatment), wash cells twice (1 min) with PBS and fix with PBS/4% PAF/4% sucrose for 20&#160;min at RT. The cells are typically at 30-40% confluence and 1.5X105 cells are used.</li>
	<li>Permeabilize the cells with 0.15% triton X-100 in PBS for 5 min at RT and block in 10% normal goat serum (NGS) in PBS for 20 min.</li>
	<li>Dilute the primary antibody of the protein of interest in 10% NGS (example: primary mouse anti-hLF antibody diluted 1:1,000). Apply the primary antibody to the cells.</li>
	<li>After 4 hr at RT or O/N&#160;at 4 &#176;C, wash the cells three times for 5 min with 10% NGS. Stain the cells with secondary antibody labelled with fluorochrome diluted in 10% NGS (example: Fluorochrome with an excitation wavelength of 488 nm linked to an antibody anti-mouse 1: 1,000) for 1 hr at RT&#160;in the dark.</li>
	<li>Wash the cells once for 5 min with PBS and stain the cells with 4&#39;,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) (1 &#181;g/ml) for 15&#160;min at RT in the dark.</li>
	<li>Wash the cells twice for 5 min with PBS. Mount cover glasses on SlowFade mounting medium before visualization through microscopy. The cells are now ready for analysis by epifluorescence or confocal microscopy.</li>
	<li>Use different controls to ensure the specificity of the detection. For instance, all antibodies can be omitted in order to detect autofluorescence. The primary antibody can be omitted to determine the non-specific staining by the secondary antibody. Finally, if possible, control cells or tissues that do not express the molecule of interest can also be used.</li>
	<li>Visualize the samples using appropriate fluorescence microscope (epifluorescence or confocal) and filter sets appropriate for the fluorescent label used. Slides can also be stored in a slide box at &#60; -20 &#176;C for later examination.</li>
</ol>
4. Fluorescence Microscopy
<ol>
	<li>Keep the samples in the dark to prevent photobleaching. Turn on the light source of the chosen microscope (epifluorescence or confocal).</li>
	<li>Turn on the microscope. Turn on the camera for the microscope. Put the slide on the microscope for visualization. Add immersion oil on the slide to increase the numerical aperture of the objective lens.</li>
	<li>Select the appropriate filters. Adjust focus and appropriate objective. Adjust the shutters in order to detect the appropriate fluorochrome but prevent photobleaching. Keep overhead lights off to minimize background light when looking at sample.</li>
	<li>Change the filters to visualize various fluorochromes (for instance DAPI and for an excitation wavelength of 488 nm). Take pictures with the camera.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Odell, I. D., Cook, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immunofluorescence+techniques.">Immunofluorescence techniques.</a> J Invest Derm. 133 (1), e4 (2013).</li><li>Portugal, J., Waring, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assignment+of+DNA+binding+sites+for+4&#8217;,6-diamidine-2-phenylindole+and+bisbenzimide+(Hoechst+33258).+A+comparative+footprinting+study.">Assignment of DNA binding sites for 4&#8217;,6-diamidine-2-phenylindole and bisbenzimide (Hoechst 33258). A comparative footprinting study.</a> Biochim Biophys Acta. 949 (2), 158-168 (1988).</li><li>Lichtman, J. W., Conchello, J. -. A. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fluorescence+microscopy.">Fluorescence microscopy.</a> Nat Methods. 2 (12), 910-919 (2005).</li><li>St Croix, C. M., Shand, S. H., Watkins, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Confocal+microscopy:+comparisons,+applications,+and+problems.">Confocal microscopy: comparisons, applications, and problems.</a> BioTechniques. 39, S2-S5 (2005).</li><li>Yi, M., Kaneko, S., Yu, D. Y., Murakami, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hepatitis+C+virus+envelope+proteins+bind+lactoferrin.">Hepatitis C virus envelope proteins bind lactoferrin.</a> Journal of virology. 71, 5997-6002 (1997).</li><li>Wakabayashi, H., Oda, H., Yamauchi, K., Abe, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lactoferrin+for+prevention+of+common+viral+infections.">Lactoferrin for prevention of common viral infections.</a> J Inf Chem. 20 (11), 666-671 (2014).</li><li>Picard-Jean, F., Bouchard, S., Lariv&#233;e, G., Bisaillon, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+intracellular+inhibition+of+HCV+replication+represents+a+novel+mechanism+of+action+by+the+innate+immune+Lactoferrin+protein.">The intracellular inhibition of HCV replication represents a novel mechanism of action by the innate immune Lactoferrin protein.</a> Antiviral research. 111, 13-22 (2014).</li><li>Johnson, G. D., Davidson, R. S., McNamee, K. C., Russell, G., Goodwin, D., Holborow, E. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fading+of+immunofluorescence+during+microscopy:+a+study+of+the+phenomenon+and+its+remedy.">Fading of immunofluorescence during microscopy: a study of the phenomenon and its remedy.</a> J Immunol Methods. 55 (2), 231-242 (1982).</li><li>Green Remington, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=fluorescent+protein:+a+perspective.">fluorescent protein: a perspective.</a> Protein Sci. 20 (9), 1509-1519 (2011).</li></ol>

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

The HCV epidemic remains a global threat, with 80% of newly infected patients developing a chronic infection, putting them at risk of cirrhosis, liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma. Direct-acting antiviral agents targeting HCV replication and maturation represent prime anti-HCV agents, as recently demonstrated by the regulatory approval of two NS3 N-terminus protease inhibitors (Boceprevir and Telaprevir). The hLF anti-HCV activity is currently believed to behave as a viral entry inhibitor, binding circulating virions and preventing them from entering into their hepatocellular target. Our research on hLF presents a novel intracellular anti-HCV mechanism of action (distinct from extracellular virion neutralization)7.
Immunofluorescence can be efficiently used to visualize the distribution and/or localization of a target molecule in a biological sample. As found in many other fluorescence techniques, one of the main problems associated with immunofluorescence is photobleaching (photochemical destruction of the fluorochrome)8. This loss of activity caused by photobleaching can be circumvented either by employing more robust fluorochromes that are less prone to photobleaching or by reducing the intensity or time-span of light exposure. Moreover, since antibodies cannot cross the cell membrane, immunofluorescence is generally only limited to fixed cells. Alternative approaches to monitor the distribution/localization of proteins in live cells therefore generally rely on the expression of proteins containing fluorescent protein domains such as the green fluorescent protein (GFP)9. However, the addition of such GFP epitopes is sometimes associated with a modification in the localization and activity of proteins. Immunofluorescence can also be used on a number of different samples including tissue sections, cultured cell lines, or individual cells it is also frequently used to monitor the localization/distribution of proteins, glycans, and small molecules. The main advantages of this technique reside in its simplicity and the fact that it can be used in combination with other, non-antibody methods of fluorescent staining (e.g., DNA staining). Moreover, commercially produced secondary antibodies are relatively inexpensive and available in an vast array of colors.
In the current study, immunofluorescence of hepatic cells supporting an HCV subgenomic replicon revealed a qualitative reduction in the HCV staining intensity upon treatment with hLF. This is an interesting observation as this subgenomic replicon system is lacking HCV E1 and E2 envelope glycoproteins, which are the commonly accepted pharmacological targets of hLF. Unlike the extracellular virion neutralization activity, hLF would need to be internalized by HCV-infected hepatocytes in order to impair viral replication. The use of fuorescence microscopy allowed us to evaluate this possibility. Upon pre-incubation on HCV-infected hepatocytes, exogenous hLF was successfully internalized, and shown to impair intracellular viral replication. The understanding of this novel hLF antiviral activity constitutes a step forward in the comprehension of the global (and likely pleiotropic) mechanism of inhibition of this innate immunity protein.

Immunofluorescence is a technique that uses a fluorescence microscope to visualize the distribution and/or localization of a target molecule in a biological sample. Immunofluorescence relies on the specificity of fluorescent-labelled antibodies against their corresponding antigens within a cell1. It is typically used on tissue sections and cultured cell lines in order to analyze the distribution/localization of various biological molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and glycans. It should be noted that immunofluorescence is often used in combination with other non-antibody methods of fluorescent staining such as the 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) stains which are typically used to label DNA2. Moreover, this technique involves fixation of the cells which allows the analysis of cells at a specific time.
Different types of microscopes can be used to analyze immunofluorescence samples. The simplest is the epifluorescence microscope (Figure 1) for which excitation of the fluorochrome and detection of the fluorescence are done through the same light path3. Because most of the excitation light is transmitted through the sample, only reflected excitatory light can reach the objective together with the emitted light. This approach unfortunately leadsto a frequent high signal to noise ratio.In contrast, confocal microscopy (Figure 2) offers a distinct advantage for increasing optical resolution and contrast by means of adding a spatial pinhole placed at the confocal plane of the lens to eliminate out-of-focus light4. This approach allows the reconstruction of three-dimensional structures from the obtained images. However, since an important fraction of the light from the sample is blocked at the pinhole, long exposures are often required.
There are two classes of immunofluorescence techniques, primary (or direct) and secondary (or indirect). Direct immunofluorescence involves a primary antibody linked with a fluorochrome (Figure 3). This method is less frequently used because it provides lower signal, involves higher cost and less flexibility1. Moreover, such antibodies are generally harder to find commercially. On the other hand, the direct attachment of the fluorochrome to the antibody significantly reduces the number of steps in the procedure, saving time and frequently reducing non-specific background signal. This also limits the possibility of antibody cross-reactivty.
Indirect immunofluorescence involves a primary unlabelled antibody which is specific for the epitope of interest1. A secondary antibody which carries the fluorochrome then recognizes the primary antibody and binds to it (Figure 3). Although indirect immunofluorescence is more complex and time consuming than direct immunofluorescence, it is frequently used because of its high sensitivity and it also provides an amplified signal since more than one secondary antibody can attach to each primary antibody. In addition, a vast array of commercial secondary antibodies is available at affordable prices.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public-health problem with 130-170 million individuals chronically infected worldwide. In order to halt the epidemic, therapy against HCV will need to be both effective and widely available. Studies focusing on safe and affordable natural product active against HCV have revealed the antiviral activity of the human Lactoferrin (hLF) protein which binds and neutralizes the circulating virion5. In the current study, investigation of hLF activity on the HCV subgenomic replicon system, which is independent from viral entry and shedding, revealed a distinct antireplicative activity of hLF against HCV. This manuscript presents a study in which immunofluorescence assays were performed to monitor the internalization of hLF, an important component of the immune system6, into hepatic cells. Moreover, we monitored the inhibitory potential of hLF on the intracellular replication of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

<table><tbody><tr><td>DMEM</td><td>Wisent</td><td>319-005-CL</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>PAF</td><td>BioShop</td><td>PAR070.1</td><td>Flammable solid, skin irritant, lungs and eyes&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>PBS</td><td>Wisent</td><td>311-425-CL</td><td>Without Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+ &lt;/sup&gt;&amp;amp; Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;</td></tr><tr><td>NGS</td><td>Wisent</td><td>053-150</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AlexaFluor 488-labeled anti-mouse</td><td>Invitrogen</td><td>A11017</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>AlexaFluor 568-labeled anti-rabbit</td><td>Invitrogeb</td><td>A21069</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Wheat germ agglutinin Alexa Fluor 488 conjugate (WGA)</td><td>Invitrogen</td><td>W11261</td><td>Potentially mutagenic</td></tr><tr><td>Anti-NS5A rabbit</td><td>Abcam</td><td>ab2594</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anti-hLF mouse</td><td>Abcam</td><td>ab10110</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SlowFade</td><td>Invitrogen</td><td>S36937</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hoechst stain</td><td>Life Techn.</td><td>H1399</td><td>Potentially&amp;nbsp;mutagenic&amp;nbsp;
and carcinogenic</td></tr><tr><td>hLF</td><td>Sigma</td><td>L0520</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nikon Eclipse visible/epifluorescence Microscope</td><td>Nikon</td><td>TE2000-E</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>epifluorescence/confocal microscope</td><td>Olympus</td><td>FV1000</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

immunofluorescence to monitor the cellular uptake of human lactoferrin and its associated antiviral activity against the hepatitis c virus

Immunofluorescence is a laboratory technique commonly used to study many aspects of biology. It is typically used to visualize the distribution and/or localization of a target molecule in cells and tissues. Immunofluorescence relies on the specificity of fluorescent-labelled antibodies against their corresponding antigens within a cell. Both direct and indirect immunofluorescence approaches can be used which rely on the use of antibodies linked with a fluorochrome. Direct immunofluorescence is less frequently used because it provides lower signal, involves higher cost and less flexibility. In contrast, indirect immunofluorescence is more commonly used because of its high sensitivity and provides an amplified signal since more than one secondary antibody can attach to each primary antibody. In this manuscript, both epifluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy were used to monitor the internalization of human lactoferrin, an important component of the immune system, into hepatic cells. Moreover, we monitored the inhibitory potential of hLF on the intracellular replication of the Hepatitis C virus using immunofluorescence. Both the advantages and disadvantages associated with these approaches are discussed.

The ability of the hepatic Huh-7 cell line to internalize exogenously administrated hLF was monitored using immunofluorescence on a confocal miscroscope. hLF was added to the culture media and the internalization was allowed for 24 hr, after which, extracellular hLF was washed with PBS and residual membrane bound hLF was degraded with a 5 min trypsin treatment (1 ml). Cells were reseeded and allowed to re-adhere for 18 hr before immunofluorescence staining. In order to outline the cytoplasmic limits, the cells membranes were stained with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) fluorochrome of an excitation wavelength of 488 nm conjugate. The hLF staining was achieved using an anti-hLF primary antibody and a fluorochrome with a wavelength of 633 nm linked to the secondary antibody. In order to determine the precise localization of hLF, cells were imaged following sequential 0.5 &#181;m horizontal cross-section by confocal microscopy. Figure 4 presents an optical cross-section corresponding to mid-cell thickness. Following the addition of exogenous hLF, a significant amount of hLF was detected inside the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. No hLF was observed inside the untreated cells when using identical instrumental settings. Together, these data confirm that hepatocytes have the capacity to acquire hLF from their extracellular environment.
The ability of hLF to inhibit the intracellular replication of HCV was next monitored using epifluorescence microscopy. Huh-7 cells supporting HCV subgenomic replicon (expressing HCV NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, NS5B proteins) replication were treated with 3 &#181;M hLF for 0, 2 or 24 hr. The double-immunofluorescence staining for hLF and HCV NS5A proteins was analyzed by epifluorescence microscopy. These results indicate that HCV subgenomic replicon staining (as measured by immunofluorescence of the HCV non-structural 5A protein) was reduced in cells treated with hLF. Figure 5 reveals a qualitative reduction of approximately 50% in HCV staining intensity after 24 hr of hLF treatment. This is an interesting observation as this subgenomic replicon system is lacking HCV E1 and E2 envelope glycoproteins, which are the commonly accepted pharmacological targets of hLF. Concomitant with the fading of HCV staining, hLF accumulation began to be detected after 2 hr, and strong hLF accumulation was observed after 24 hr.
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1.&#160;Principle of Epifluorescence microscopy. In this type of microscopy, excitation filters select the specific wavelength which excites the specimen (tissus or cells harboring fluorescent-labelled antibodies). Moreover, emission filters are chosen to match the spectral emission characteristics of the fluorophore used to label the specimen. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 2" src="/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig2.jpg" /> 
Figure 2.&#160;Principle of Confocal microscopy. This type of microscopy uses an emission pinhole to eliminate out-of-focus light signal. Since only light produced by fluorescence very close to the focal plane can be detected, the optical resolution of the image is much better than that of epifluorescence microscopes. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig2large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 3" src="/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig3.jpg" /> 
Figure 3.&#160;Schematic of the indirect and direct immunofluorescence. Direct immunofluorescence involves only one type of antibody labelled with a fluorochrome which is specific to the molecule of interest (primary antibody). In contrast, indirect immunofluorescence involves secondary antibodies labelled with fluorochromes which are specific to the species of the unlabelled primary antibody. More than one secondary antibody can attach to each primary antibody which increases the fluorescence signal. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig3large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 4" src="/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig4.jpg" /> 
Figure 4.&#160;Hepatocellular uptake of exogenous hLF. Huh-7 cells were treated with 0&#160;&#181;M or 3&#160;&#181;M hLF for 24&#160;hr, washed twice, submitted to a 5&#160;min trypsin treatment, allowed to re-adhere for 18&#160;hr and subjected to immunofluorescence. Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue channel), plasma membranes were labeled with WGA (green channel) and hLF was stained with an anti-hLF antibody (red channel). Images were acquired by confocal microscopy at an original magnification of 60x. The horizontal optical cross-sections represent the mid-thickness of the cells. Scale bar, 10 &#181;m. Modified from (11). <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig4large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure5" src="/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig5.jpg" /> 
Figure 5.&#160;hLF treatment reduces HCV staining.&#160;Huh-7 cells supporting HCV subgenomic replicon replication were treated with 3&#160;&#181;M hLF for 0, 2, or 24 hr and subjected to immunofluorescence. Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue channel), HCV was revealed by an anti-NS5A antibody (red channel) and hLF was stained with an anti-hLF antibody (green channel). Images were acquired by epifluorescence microscopy at an original magnification of 60x. Scale bar, 10 &#181;m. Modified from (11). <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/53053/53053fig5large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Immunofluorescence to Monitor the Cellular Uptake of Human Lactoferrin and its Associated Antiviral Activity Against the Hepatitis C Virus at JoVE.com

Immunofluorescence to Monitor the Cellular Uptake of Human Lactoferrin and its Associated Antiviral Activity Against the Hepatitis C Virus

The human lactoferrin (hLF) is a component of the immune system. In this study, immunofluorescence assays are used to demonstrate both the hepatocellular uptake of hLF and a qualitative reduction in the hepatitis C virus replication upon treatment with hLF.

Immunofluorescence is a laboratory technique commonly used to study many aspects of biology. It is typically used to visualize the distribution and/or ...

immunofluorescence-to-monitor-cellular-uptake-human-lactoferrin-its

Nanyang Technological University

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Immunology and Infection

13.3K Views.  Université de Sherbrooke. The human lactoferrin (hLF) is a component of the immune system. In this study, immunofluorescence assays are used to demonstrate both the hepatocellular uptake of hLF and a qualitative reduction in the hepatitis C virus replication upon treatment with hLF.

Video: Immunofluorescence to Monitor the Cellular Uptake of Human Lactoferrin and its Associated Antiviral Activity Against the Hepatitis C Virus

High-throughput Detection Method for Influenza Virus

Influenza virus is a respiratory pathogen that causes a high degree of morbidity and mortality every year in multiple parts of the world. Therefore, precise diagnosis of the infecting strain and rapid high-throughput screening of vast numbers of clinical samples is paramount to control the spread of pandemic infections. Current clinical diagnoses of influenza infections are based on serologic testing, polymerase chain reaction, direct specimen immunofluorescence and cell culture 1,2.
Here, we report the development of a novel diagnostic technique used to detect live influenza viruses. We used the mouse-adapted human A/PR/8/34 (PR8, H1N1) virus 3 to test the efficacy of this technique using MDCK cells 4. MDCK cells (104 or 5 x 103 per well) were cultured in 96- or 384-well plates, infected with PR8 and viral proteins were detected using anti-M2 followed by an IR dye-conjugated secondary antibody. M2 5 and hemagglutinin 1 are two major marker proteins used in many different diagnostic assays. Employing IR-dye-conjugated secondary antibodies minimized the autofluorescence associated with other fluorescent dyes. The use of anti-M2 antibody allowed us to use the antigen-specific fluorescence intensity as a direct metric of viral quantity. To enumerate the fluorescence intensity, we used the LI-COR Odyssey-based IR scanner. This system uses two channel laser-based IR detections to identify fluorophores and differentiate them from background noise. The first channel excites at 680 nm and emits at 700 nm to help quantify the background. The second channel detects fluorophores that excite at 780 nm and emit at 800 nm. Scanning of PR8-infected MDCK cells in the IR scanner indicated a viral titer-dependent bright fluorescence. A positive correlation of fluorescence intensity to virus titer starting from 102-105 PFU could be consistently observed. Minimal but detectable positivity consistently seen with 102-103 PFU PR8 viral titers demonstrated the high sensitivity of the near-IR dyes. The signal-to-noise ratio was determined by comparing the mock-infected or isotype antibody-treated MDCK cells.
Using the fluorescence intensities from 96- or 384-well plate formats, we constructed standard titration curves. In these calculations, the first variable is the viral titer while the second variable is the fluorescence intensity. Therefore, we used the exponential distribution to generate a curve-fit to determine the polynomial relationship between the viral titers and fluorescence intensities. Collectively, we conclude that IR dye-based protein detection system can help diagnose infecting viral strains and precisely enumerate the titer of the infecting pathogens.

This method describes the use of Infrared dye based imaging system for detection of H1N1 in bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of infected mice at a high sensitivity. This methodology can be performed in a 96- or 384-well plate, requires &lt;10 &mu;l volume of test material and has the potential for concurrent screening of multiple pathogens.

Influenza virus is a respiratory pathogen that causes a high degree of morbidity and mortality every year in multiple parts of the world. Therefore, ...

Two Methods of Heterokaryon Formation to Discover HCV Restriction Factors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic virus with a host-range restricted to humans and chimpanzees. Although HCV RNA replication has been observed in human non-hepatic and murine cell lines, the efficiency was very low and required long-term selection procedures using HCV replicon constructs expressing dominant antibiotic-selectable markers1-5. HCV in vitro research is therefore limited to human hepatoma cell lines permissive for virus entry and completion of the viral life cycle. Due to HCVs narrow species tropism, there is no immunocompetent small animal model available that sustains the complete HCV replication cycle 6-8. Inefficient replication of HCV in non-human cells e.g. of mouse origin is likely due to lack of genetic incompatibility of essential host dependency factors and/or expression of restriction factors.
We investigated whether HCV propagation is suppressed by dominant restriction factors in either human cell lines derived from non-hepatic tissues or in mouse liver cell lines. To this end, we developed two independent conditional trans-complementation methods relying on somatic cell fusion. In both cases, completion of the viral replication cycle is only possible in the heterokaryons. Consequently, successful trans-complementation, which is determined by measuring de novo production of infectious viral progeny, indicates absence of dominant restrictions.
Specifically, subgenomic HCV replicons carrying a luciferase transgene were transfected into highly permissive human hepatoma cells (Huh-7.5 cells). Subsequently, these cells were co-cultured and fused to various human and murine cells expressing HCV structural proteins core, envelope 1 and 2 (E1, E2) and accessory proteins p7 and NS2. Provided that cell fusion was initiated by treatment with polyethylene-glycol (PEG), the culture released infectious viral particles which infected na&iuml;ve cells in a receptor-dependent fashion.
To assess the influence of dominant restrictions on the complete viral life cycle including cell entry, RNA translation, replication and virus assembly, we took advantage of a human liver cell line (Huh-7 Lunet N cells 9) which lacks endogenous expression of CD81, an essential entry factor of HCV. In the absence of ectopically expressed CD81, these cells are essentially refractory to HCV infection 10 . Importantly, when co-cultured and fused with cells that express human CD81 but lack at least another crucial cell entry factor (i.e. SR-BI, CLDN1, OCLN), only the resulting heterokaryons display the complete set of HCV entry factors requisite for infection. Therefore, to analyze if dominant restriction factors suppress completion of the HCV replication cycle, we fused Lunet N cells with various cells from human and mouse origin which fulfill the above mentioned criteria. When co-cultured cells were transfected with a highly fusogenic viral envelope protein mutant of the prototype foamy virus (PFV11) and subsequently challenged with infectious HCV particles (HCVcc), de novo production of infectious virus was observed. This indicates that HCV successfully completed its replication cycle in heterokaryons thus ruling out expression of dominant restriction factors in these cell lines. These novel conditional trans-complementation methods will be useful to screen a large panel of cell lines and primary cells for expression of HCV-specific dominant restriction factors.

We describe two methods for conditional trans-complementation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) assembly and the completion of the full viral life cycle, which rely on heterokaryon formation. These techniques are suitable to screen for cell lines that express dominant restriction factors, which preclude production of infectious HCV progeny.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic virus with a host-range restricted to humans and chimpanzees. Although HCV RNA replication has been observed in ...

A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) affects 3% of the world&#8217;s population and causes serious liver ailments including&#160;chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae. Current treatment is not fully effective and causes adverse side effects. There is no HCV vaccine available. Thus, continued effort is required for developing a vaccine and better therapy. An HCV cell culture system is critical for studying various stages of HCV growth including viral entry, genome replication, packaging, and egress. In the current procedure presented, we used a wild-type intragenotype 2a chimeric virus, FNX-HCV, and a recombinant FNX-Rluc virus carrying a Renilla luciferase reporter gene to study the virus replication. A human hepatoma cell line (Huh-7 based) was used for transfection of in vitro transcribed HCV genomic RNAs. Cell-free culture supernatants, protein lysates and total RNA were harvested at various time points post-transfection to assess HCV growth. HCV genome replication status was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR and visualizing the presence of HCV double-stranded RNA. The HCV protein expression was verified by Western blot and immunofluorescence assays using antibodies specific for HCV NS3 and NS5A proteins. HCV RNA transfected cells released infectious particles into culture supernatant and the viral titer was measured. Luciferase assays were utilized to assess the replication level and infectivity of reporter HCV. In conclusion, we present various virological assays for characterizing different stages of the HCV replication cycle.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen that causes liver disorders, including cirrhosis and cancer. An HCV infectious cell culture system is essential for understanding the molecular mechanism of HCV replication and developing new therapeutic approaches. Here we describe a protocol to investigate various stages of the HCV replication cycle.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) affects 3% of the world&#8217;s population and causes serious liver ailments including&#160;chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and ...

A Method to Assess Fc-mediated Effector Functions Induced by Influenza Hemagglutinin Specific Antibodies

Antibodies play a crucial role in coupling the innate and adaptive immune responses against viral pathogens through their antigen binding domains and Fc-regions. Here, we describe how to measure the activation of Fc effector functions by monoclonal antibodies targeting the influenza virus hemagglutinin with the use of a genetically engineered Jurkat cell line expressing an activating type 1 Fc-Fc&#947;R. Using this method, the contribution of specific Fc-Fc&#947;R interactions conferred by immunoglobulins can be determined using an in vitro assay.

We describe a method to measure the activation of Fc-mediated effector functions by antibodies that target the influenza virus hemagglutinin. This assay can also be adapted to assess the ability of monoclonal antibodies or polyclonal sera targeting other viral surface glycoproteins to induce Fc-mediated immunity.

Antibodies play a crucial role in coupling the innate and adaptive immune responses against viral pathogens through their antigen binding domains and ...

Detection of Viral RNA by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH)

Viruses that infect cells elicit specific changes to normal cell functions which serve to divert energy and resources for viral replication. Many aspects of host cell function are commandeered by viruses, usually by the expression of viral gene products that recruit host cell proteins and machineries. Moreover, viruses engineer specific membrane organelles or tag on to mobile vesicles and motor proteins to target regions of the cell (during de novo infection, viruses co-opt molecular motor proteins to target the nucleus; later, during virus assembly, they will hijack cellular machineries that will help in the assembly of viruses). Less is understood on how viruses, in particular those with RNA genomes, coordinate the intracellular trafficking of both protein and RNA components and how they achieve assembly of infectious particles at specific loci in the cell. The study of RNA localization began in earlier work. Developing lower eukaryotic embryos and neuronal cells provided important biological information, and also underscored the importance of RNA localization in the programming of gene expression cascades. The study in other organisms and cell systems has yielded similar important information. Viruses are obligate parasites and must utilise their host cells to replicate. Thus, it is critical to understand how RNA viruses direct their RNA genomes from the nucleus, through the nuclear pore, through the cytoplasm and on to one of its final destinations, into progeny virus particles 1.
FISH serves as a useful tool to identify changes in steady-state localization of viral RNA. When combined with immunofluorescence (IF) analysis 22, FISH/IF co-analyses will provide information on the co-localization of proteins with the viral RNA3. This analysis therefore provides a good starting point to test for RNA-protein interactions by other biochemical or biophysical tests 4,5, since co-localization by itself is not enough evidence to be certain of an interaction. In studying viral RNA localization using a method like this, abundant information has been gained on both viral and cellular RNA trafficking events 6. For instance, HIV-1 produces RNA in the nucleus of infected cells but the RNA is only translated in the cytoplasm. When one key viral protein is missing (Rev) 7, FISH of the viral RNA has revealed that the block to viral replication is due to the retention of the HIV-1 genomic RNA in the nucleus 8. 
Here, we present the method for visual analysis of viral genomic RNA in situ. The method makes use of a labelled RNA probe. This probe is designed to be complementary to the viral genomic RNA. During the in vitro synthesis of the antisense RNA probe, the ribonucleotide that is modified with digoxigenin (DIG) is included in an in vitro transcription reaction. Once the probe has hybridized to the target mRNA in cells, subsequent antibody labelling steps (Figure 1) will reveal the localization of the mRNA as well as proteins of interest when performing FISH/IF.

Detection of Viral RNA by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization FISH

A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method was developed to visually detect viral genomic RNA using fluorescence microscopy. A probe is made with specificity to the viral RNA that can then be identified using a combination of hybridization and immunofluorescence techniques. This technique offers the advantage of identifying the localization of the viral RNA or DNA at steady-state, providing information on the control of intracellular virus trafficking events.

Viruses  that infect cells elicit specific changes to normal cell functions which serve  to divert energy and resources for viral replication. Many ...

Biology

A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) cause human respiratory disease that is associated with significant health and economic consequences. As with other viruses, studying IAV requires the use of laborious secondary approaches to detect the presence of the virus in infected cells and/or in animal models of infection. This limitation has been recently circumvented with the generation of recombinant IAVs expressing easily traceable fluorescent or bioluminescent (luciferase) reporter proteins. However, researchers have been forced to select fluorescent or luciferase reporter genes due to the restricted capacity of the IAV genome for including foreign sequences. To overcome this limitation, we have generated a recombinant replication-competent bi-reporter IAV (BIRFLU) stably expressing both a fluorescent and a luciferase reporter gene to easily track IAV infections in vitro and in vivo. To this end, the viral non-structural (NS) and hemagglutinin (HA) viral segments of influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 H1N1 (PR8) were modified to encode the fluorescent Venus and the bioluminescent Nanoluc luciferase proteins, respectively. Here, we describe the use of BIRFLU in a mouse model of IAV infection and the detection of both reporter genes using an in vivo imaging system. Notably, we have observed a good correlation between the expressions of both reporters and viral replication. The combination of cutting-edge techniques in molecular biology, animal research and imaging technologies, provides researchers the unique opportunity to use this tool for influenza research, including the study of virus-host interactions and dynamics of viral infections. Importantly, the feasibility to genetically alter the viral genome to express two foreign genes from different viral segments opens up opportunities to use this approach for: (i) the development of novel IAV vaccines, (ii) the generation of recombinant IAVs that can be used as vaccine vectors for the treatment of other human pathogen infections.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are contagious respiratory pathogens that cause annual epidemics and occasional pandemics. Here, we describe a protocol to track viral infections in vivo using a novel recombinant luciferase and fluorescence-expressing bi-reporter IAV (BIRFLU). This approach provides researchers with an excellent tool to study IAV in vivo.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) cause human respiratory disease that is associated with significant health and economic consequences. As with other viruses, ...

Single-Cell Multiplexed Fluorescence Imaging to Visualize Viral Nucleic Acids and Proteins and Monitor HIV, HTLV, HBV, HCV, Zika Virus, and Influenza Infection

Capturing the dynamic replication and assembly processes of viruses has been hindered by the lack of robust in situ hybridization (ISH) technologies that enable sensitive and simultaneous labeling of viral nucleic acid and protein. Conventional DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methods are often not compatible with immunostaining. We have therefore developed an imaging approach, MICDDRP (multiplex immunofluorescent cell-based detection of DNA, RNA and protein), which enables simultaneous single-cell visualization of DNA, RNA, and protein. Compared to conventional DNA FISH, MICDDRP utilizes branched DNA (bDNA) ISH technology, which dramatically improves oligonucleotide probe sensitivity and detection. Small modifications of MICDDRP enable imaging of viral proteins concomitantly with nucleic acids (RNA or DNA) of different strandedness. We have applied these protocols to study the life cycles of multiple viral pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-1, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Zika virus (ZKV), and influenza A virus (IAV). We demonstrated that we can efficiently label viral nucleic acids and proteins across a diverse range of viruses. These studies can provide us with improved mechanistic understanding of multiple viral systems, and in addition, serve as a template for application of multiplexed fluorescence imaging of DNA, RNA, and protein across a broad spectrum of cellular systems.

Presented here is a protocol for a fluorescence imaging approach, multiplex immunofluorescent cell-based detection of DNA, RNA, and protein (MICDDRP), a method capable of simultaneous fluorescence single-cell visualization of viral protein and nucleic acids of different type and strandedness. This approach can be applied to a diverse range of systems.

Capturing the dynamic replication and assembly processes of viruses has been hindered by the lack of robust in situ hybridization (ISH) technologies that ...

Measuring the Activation of Fc-Mediated Effector Functions by HA Antibodies

Source: Bailey, M. J., et al. <a href="https://app.jove.com/v/56256">A Method to Assess Fc-mediated Effector Functions Induced by Influenza Hemagglutinin Specific Antibodies.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (2018).
This video demonstrates an assay measuring the antibody-mediated activation of T cell effector functions. Adding an influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA)-specific monoclonal antibody to transfected mammalian cells expressing HA results in the formation of immune complexes with HA. Upon introducing engineered T cells expressing Fc receptors and a luciferase reporter, the T cells are activated by the antibody-HA complexes, and this activation is detected by adding a luciferase substrate and measuring the produced bioluminescence.

1. Expression of Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin via Transfection

	Plate Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK 293T) cells at a density of 2 x 104 cells/well in a ...

JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments

Immunology

Antibody-Based Technologies

Characterization and Functional Analysis

An Immunofluorescence Method to Measure the Neutralization of Human Cytomegalovirus

This video demonstrates an immunofluorescence assay designed to measure the neutralization of Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Virus-specific antibodies are mixed with the virus and incubated with human fibroblast cells. The antibodies neutralize the virus, rendering it unable to infect the host cells, while non-neutralized viruses infect the cells. After incubation, the extent of neutralization is determined by quantifying the virus-infected cells using immunofluorescence.

1. Preparation of target cells for infection

	Seed target cells the day prior to performing the experiment in a 96-well plate (the &#39;target&#39; ...

Immunodiagnostics

Imaging and Visualization Techniques

A Viral Attachment Assay for Screening of Antiviral Compounds

Source: Tai, C. et al., <a href="https://app.jove.com/v/53124">Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds.</a> J. Vis. Exp.&#160;(2015)
This video demonstrates a viral attachment assay for screening antiviral compounds. Using genetically modified hepatitis C virus and luciferase, it assesses inhibitory effects on viral attachment, as indicated by lower light intensity in co-treated wells compared to wells treated with the virus alone.

NOTE: Ensure that all procedures involving cell culture and virus infection are conducted in certified biosafety hoods that are appropriate for the ...