SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY OF IMMOBILISED SEMLIKI FOREST VIRUS AND THEILER'S VIRUS

M.Moloney, L.McDonnell and H.O'Shea

Cork Institute of Technology
Rossa Avenue, Cork, Ireland.

Semliki Forest virus, an alphavirus, and Theilerｹs virus, a togavirus, are murine single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses. The RNA genomes are surrounded by a protein shell known as the capsid and in the case of Semliki Forest virus the capsid is further surrounded by a lipid envelope of host cell origin. In this study, L10 strain capsids of Semliki Forest virus and the DA strain of Theiler's virus were immobilised onto silicon wafer supports that had been pre-coated with a monolayer of the relevant antibody. After drying the samples were imaged in air using non-contact mode scanning force microscopy. Quantification of the SFM images has revealed that both viral capsids appear to collapse when immobilised in this manner.