Live cell imaging of hepatitis C virus trafficking in hepatocytes

Abstract

Standard fixed cell confocal microscopy is inherently limited in visualizing dynamic processes involving two- and three-dimensional movement. To overcome these limitations, live cell imaging approaches have been developed to study hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry, replicase protein trafficking, virion assembly, and egress. These studies have relied on fluorescent labeling of viral proteins by epitope tag insertion, genome labeling via nucleophilic dyes, or using lipophilic dyes to label the virion envelope. In this method review, we describe two approaches to study HCV virion trafficking in live cells. Lipophilic labeling of the envelope allows for study of the early events (through virion uncoating/fusion) in the HCV lifecycle. Tetracysteine (TC) tag insertion into the capsid protein permits study of virion assembly and capsid trafficking via binding of a fluorogenic biarsenical dye.