Topography, Spike Dynamics, and Nanomechanics of Individual Native SARS-CoV-2 Virions
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Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic, displays a corona-shaped layer of spikes which play a fundamental role in the infection process. Recent structural data suggest that the spikes possess orientational freedom and the ribonucleoproteins segregate into basketlike structures. How these structural features regulate the dynamic and mechanical behavior of the native virion are yet unknown. By imaging and mechanically manipulating individual, native SARS-CoV-2 virions with atomic force microscopy, here, we show that their surface displays a dynamic brush owing to the flexibility and rapid motion of the spikes. The virions are highly compliant and able to recover from drastic mechanical perturbations. Their global structure is remarkably temperature resistant, but the virion surface becomes progressively denuded of spikes upon thermal exposure. The dynamics and the mechanics of SARS-CoV-2 are likely to affect its stability and interactions.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2020.09.17.302380: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement not detected. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Cell Line Authentication not detected. Table 2: Resources
Antibodies Sentences Resources The anti-spike glycoprotein antibody-coated surfaces were stored under PBS for up to 5 days at 4 °C. anti-spike glycoproteinsuggested: NoneHandling virion sample in the AFM: An aliquot (20 μl) of purified SARS-CoV-2 sample was pipetted onto the anti-spike antibody-coated substrate surface and incubated at 37 °C for 30 minutes. anti-spike antibody-coated substrate surfacesuggested: NoneExperimental Models: Cell Lines Sentences Resources Sample preparation: … SciScore for 10.1101/2020.09.17.302380: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement not detected. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Cell Line Authentication not detected. Table 2: Resources
Antibodies Sentences Resources The anti-spike glycoprotein antibody-coated surfaces were stored under PBS for up to 5 days at 4 °C. anti-spike glycoproteinsuggested: NoneHandling virion sample in the AFM: An aliquot (20 μl) of purified SARS-CoV-2 sample was pipetted onto the anti-spike antibody-coated substrate surface and incubated at 37 °C for 30 minutes. anti-spike antibody-coated substrate surfacesuggested: NoneExperimental Models: Cell Lines Sentences Resources Sample preparation: SARS-CoV-2 was isolated from the oropharyngeal swab of a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient in Hungary and passed two times in VeroE6 cell line (European Collection of Authenticated Cell Culture, Salisbury, U.K.) in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (Lonza, Basel, Switzerland) supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (EuroClone, Pero, Italy) and Cell Culture Guard (PanReac AppliChem, Darmstadt, Germany). VeroE6suggested: JCRB Cat# JCRB1819, RRID:CVCL_YQ49)Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.
Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.
Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- No protocol registration statement was detected.
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