FIG 9.

ANCHOR technology allows quantification of HCMV infection in live cells. (a) Fluorescent spots in an MRC5 cell infected with TB40-ANCHOR3 HCMV 72 h p.i. (b) Same as panel a but treated to filter out the fluorescent background and then processed using the spot detector plug in for ImageJ (spot radius, 2; cutoff, 0; percentile, 7). (c and d) The images were then converted into a 3D intensity surface plot (perspective) (c) or a picture in x and z (d) to assess particle intensities. A single viral genome corresponds to 30 FU. In the RC, all the spots harbored between 2 and 5 viral genomes, and this number decreased from the center to the periphery, suggesting a highly organized territory. Outside the RC, only unique genomes were observed (see the text for an explanation).