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. 2022 Feb 14;13:868. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28446-x

Fig. 1. Bottom-up assembly of minimal SARS-CoV-2 virions.

Fig. 1

a Schematic illustration of MiniVs based on SUVs with SARS-CoV-2 S ectodomains, immobilized via their His-tag. b Lipid formulation of SUVs derived from the ERGIC with NTA-functionalized and fluorescent lipids. c MiniV and SUV size distribution analysis by dynamic light scattering. d Exemplary cryo-EM tomography slices of MiniVs with immobilized S on the membrane. Scale bar is 50 nm. e Representative confocal microscopy images, from two independent experiments, of MCF7 human epithelial cells incubated for 10 min with MiniVs, showing attachment of the MiniVs to the cells surface. Inset shows magnified area of attachment. Scale bar is 7 µm. f Maximal confocal microscopy z-projections of MCF7 human epithelial cells incubated for 18 h with MiniVs (top row) or with SUVs lacking S on the surface (bottom row). Scale bar is 40 µm. g–i Time-resolved retention assay of MiniVs and SUVs incubated with MCF7 (g), A549 (h), and HUVEC (i) cells. j SUV-normalized retention assay for MiniVs presenting different recombinant hCoV S variants incubated for 24 h with MCF7 cells. k Retention assay for MiniVs presenting SARS-CoV-2 D614G and B1.1.7 S variants incubated for 24 h with MCF7 human epithelial cells. Results in g–k are shown as mean ± SD from at least n = 3 biological replicates in each experimental condition, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.005, unpaired two-tailed t-test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.