Subcellular Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Human Tissue Reveals Distinct Localization in Alveolar Type 2 Pneumocytes and Alveolar Macrophages

• DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03751-21
• Publication Date: 2022-02-08T09:31:08Z
• Authors: Kofi K. Acheampong; Dylan L. Schaff; Benjamin L. Emert; Jonathan Lake; Sam Reffsin; Emily K. Shea; Courtney E. Comar; Leslie A. Litzky; Nigar A. Khurram; Rebecca L. Linn; Michael Feldman; Susan R. Weiss; Kathleen T. Montone; Sara Cherry; Sydney M. Shaffer
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Microbiology; QR1-502; fluorescent image analysis; single cell; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Alveolar Epithelial Cells; Macrophages, Alveolar; cellular imaging; Humans; RNA, Viral; RNA FISH; Lung; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Research Article

Here, we developed anin situRNA detection assay for RNA generated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We found viral RNA in lung, lymph node, and placenta samples from pathology specimens from COVID patients. Using high-magnification microscopy, we can visualize the subcellular distribution of these RNA in single cells.