Name
Re-Imaging the Wheel by applying single-molecule live-imaging methods to rotavirus infection
Presenter
Stefano Bonazza, Cambridge University
Co-Author(s)
Stefano Bonazza, Cambridge University
Alexander Borodavka, Cambridge University
Abstract Category
Virus Replication: Entry, Exit and Everything in Between
Abstract
Viroplasms are rotavirus-induced cytoplasmic condensates that serve as hubs for viral replication and transcription. Our recent work has shown that these structures exhibit characteristics of biomolecular condensates, organised through interactions between viral and host components. While condensate formation is a common regulatory strategy in cells, the functional and spatial relationships between viroplasms and host organelles remain poorly understood.
To explore these dynamics, we have developed a set of live-cell imaging tools capable of capturing single-molecule events during infection with high temporal and spatial resolution. This approach has enabled us to visualise viroplasm behaviour and its interactions with host structures in real time, providing new insights into their assembly and composition.
These tools open new avenues for investigating diverse aspects of rotavirus biology, including genome packaging and host–virus interactions, and are broadly applicable to other segmented and dsRNA viruses.
To explore these dynamics, we have developed a set of live-cell imaging tools capable of capturing single-molecule events during infection with high temporal and spatial resolution. This approach has enabled us to visualise viroplasm behaviour and its interactions with host structures in real time, providing new insights into their assembly and composition.
These tools open new avenues for investigating diverse aspects of rotavirus biology, including genome packaging and host–virus interactions, and are broadly applicable to other segmented and dsRNA viruses.