EM visualization of intracellular HCV particles.

<p>Huh-7.5.1 cells were transfected with the full-length HCV RNAs Con1/C3 (WT) or Con1/C3/ΔE1E2 (ΔE1E2) or Con1/C3/Sp1mt (Sp1mt). Two days post-transfection, cells were lysed by freeze-thaw cycles and cell lysates were loaded onto iodixanol gradients. After isopycnic ultracentrifugation, fractions with densities ranging from 1.12 to 1.13 g/mL were pooled, and directly subjected to EM visualization after negative staining (left panels) or delipidated with 0.1% Triton X-100 and subjected to immunogold labeling with mAb against HCV core protein before negative staining and EM visualization (right panels).