In the plaque assay, what is the precise origin of a single plaque?

Name: Essentials of Genetics
Author: Klug
ISBN: 9780135588789

검증된 단계별 안내

Understand that a plaque assay is a method used to quantify the number of virus particles capable of infecting cells in a sample by forming clear zones called plaques on a layer of host cells.

Recognize that each plaque originates from a single infectious virus particle, often referred to as a plaque-forming unit (PFU).

Know that when a single virus particle infects a host cell, it replicates and causes cell lysis, releasing progeny viruses that infect neighboring cells, leading to a localized area of cell destruction visible as a plaque.

Therefore, the precise origin of a single plaque is one infectious virus particle that initiated infection in a single host cell.

This concept is fundamental because counting plaques allows estimation of the number of infectious virus particles in the original sample.

주요 개념

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Plaque Assay Technique

The plaque assay is a method used to quantify viruses by infecting a layer of host cells and observing clear zones called plaques. Each plaque represents an area where the virus has lysed the host cells, allowing researchers to estimate viral concentration.

Origin of a Single Plaque

A single plaque originates from one infectious viral particle, or virion, that infects a host cell and initiates a localized infection. This infection spreads to neighboring cells, causing cell lysis and forming a visible plaque.

Host Cell Lysis and Viral Replication

After a virus infects a host cell, it replicates inside until the cell bursts (lysis), releasing new virions. These progeny infect adjacent cells, leading to a chain reaction that creates the clear zone observed as a plaque.