STAR Protocols (Jun 2023)

Quantification of virus-infected cells using RNA FISH-Flow

  • Cody J. Warren,
  • Arturo Barbachano-Guerrero,
  • Devra Huey,
  • Qing Yang,
  • Emma R. Worden-Sapper,
  • Jens H. Kuhn,
  • Sara L. Sawyer

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 2
p. 102291

Abstract

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Summary: We present a protocol to detect cells that have been infected by RNA viruses. The method, RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization flow cytometry (RNA FISH-Flow), uses 48 fluorescently labeled DNA probes that hybridize in tandem to viral RNA. RNA FISH-Flow probes can be synthesized to match any RNA virus genome, in either sense or anti-sense, enabling detection of genomes or replication intermediates within cells. Flow cytometry enables high-throughput analysis of infection dynamics within a population at the single cell level.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Warren et al. (2022).1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

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