Video Killed the Biochemistry Star
First rule of science: collecting microscopy data is much more entertaining than turning it into publication—quality files. So we often…don’t. We hope that our cell phone videos are just as illuminating? See the embedded videos or visit our highly influenced and socially tiktaked Youtubing account:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIO5cab4BzeNBvs-2knIZQ/videos
Page 1 (Linked, Cytoplasmic RNA granules)
Page 2 (Linked, Nuclear RNA bodies)
Page 3 (Below, Multinucleated syncytia)
Page 4 (Linked, Miscellaneous live cell time lapses)
Co-Cultured U2OS cells expressing either SARS-CoV-2 spike (green) or its human receptor protein, ACE2 (magenta). Neighboring cells form highly stable synapse-like structures, which precede fusion pore dilation and cell-cell fusion. This stepwise process may contribute to the formation of pathological multinucleated syncytia in COVID-19 patient lungs.
Co-cultured ACE2-mCherry (red) and SARS-CoV-2 Spike-GFP (green) cells fuse to form a multi-nucleated syncytium. Time lapse = 30 minutes. Human U2OS cell background.
ACE2-mCherry (red) cell fuses with SARS-CoV-2 Spike-GFP (green) cell. (both = human U2OS) Some ACE2-labeled lysosomes think they are the Kool-Aid dude or something, crashing through membranes and all. They wish
Time lapse two cells fusing upon the meeting of a single ACE2-mCherry cell (magenta) with a SARS-CoV-2 spike-GFP cell (green). Video courtesy of Dan Bracha.
5-hour time lapse of a syncytium forming upon addition of a single ACE2-mCherry cell (magenta) to a lawn of SARS-CoV-2 spike-GFP cells (green). Credit: Dan Bracha.