Growth and Quantification of MERS-CoV Infection

Curr Protoc Microbiol. 2015 May 1;37(1):15E.2.1-9. doi: 10.1002/9780471729259.mc15e02s37.

Abstract

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging highly pathogenic respiratory virus. Although MERS-CoV only emerged in 2012, we and others have developed assays to grow and quantify infectious MERS-CoV and RNA products of replication in vitro. MERS-CoV is able to infect a range of cell types, but replicates to high titers in Vero E6 cells. Protocols for the propagation and quantification of MERS-CoV are presented.

Keywords: MERS; coronavirus; infection; plaque assay; quantification; virology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / genetics
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / growth & development*
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Vero Cells
  • Viral Load / methods*
  • Virus Cultivation / methods*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral