Single-Cell Analysis of RNA Virus Infection Identifies Multiple Genetically Diverse Viral Genomes within Single Infectious Units.

ABSTRACT: Genetic diversity enables a virus to colonize novel hosts, evade immunity, and evolve drug resistance. However, viral diversity is typically assessed at the population level. Given the existence of cell-to-cell variation, it is critical to understand viral genetic structure at the single-cell level. By combining single-cell isolation with ultra-deep sequencing, we characterized the genetic structure and diversity of a RNA virus shortly after single-cell bottlenecks. Full-length sequences from 881 viral plaques derived from 90 individual cells reveal that sequence variants pre-existing in different viral genomes can be co-transmitted within the same infectious unit to individual cells. Further, the rate of spontaneous virus mutation varies across individual cells, and early production of di

SUBMITTER: Combe M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4617633 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature