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Volume 27, Number 4—April 2021
Synopsis

Difficulties in Differentiating Coronaviruses from Subcellular Structures in Human Tissues by Electron Microscopy

Hannah A. BullockComments to Author , Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Sherif R. Zaki, Roosecelis B. Martines, and Sara E. Miller
Author affiliations: Synergy America, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, USA (H.A. Bullock); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (C.S. Goldsmith, S.R. Zaki, R.B. Martines); Duke Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA (S.E. Miller)

Main Article

Table

Structures misidentified as coronavirus particles by transmission electron microscopy in publications, March–November 2020*

Original reference Tissue Structures misidentified as coronavirus (Figure no., panel) Correct identification Response
Yao et al. (1)
 Lung
 Spiked vesicles in the cytoplasm (1, A–C)
 CCVs
 NA
Pesaresi et al. (2) Lung Vacuole containing vesicles (1, A, B) MVB NA
Clusters of dark particles some associated with membranes (1, C, D) RER and possibly ribosomes
Clusters of dark particles (2, A, B, E)
 Unidentifiable structures
Grimes et al. (3) Lung Vacuole containing vesicles (2, A) MVB NA
Spiked vesicle in cytoplasm (2, B)
 Possible CCV
Ackermann et al. (4)
 Lung
 Dark circular structures (3, D)
 Unidentifiable structure
 Scholkmann et al. (29)
Borczuk et al. (5) Lung Clusters of dark particles associated with membranes (6, E) Vesiculating RER NA
Spiked vesicle in cytoplasm (7, F)
 CCV
Bradley et al. (6) Lung Collections of vesicles (5, A, D) Unidentifiable structures Dittmayer et al. (30)
Coated vesicles (5, B) CCVs
Vacuole containing vesicles (5, C)
 MVB
Intestine Circular membranes in cytoplasm (5, E) Unidentifiable structures NA
Extracellular spiked vesicles (5, F)
 Unidentifiable structures
Kidney Spiked vesicles within a membrane (5, G) CCVs NA
Membrane bound vesicles (5, H)
 Unidentifiable structures
Su et al. (7)
 Kidney
 Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (2, A–D)
 CCVs
 Calomeni et al. (24); Miller et al. (27); Roufosse et al. (28)
Kissling et al. (8)
 Kidney
 Vacuole containing vesicles (1, E, F)
 MVB
 Calomeni et al. (24); Miller et al. (27); Roufosse et al. (28)
Varga et al. (9)
 Kidney
 Circular membrane structures with surrounding black dots (1, A, B)
 Vesiculating RER
 Goldsmith et al. (26); Roufosse et al. (28)
Farkash et al. (10) Kidney Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (3, A–C) CCVs Miller et al. (25); Roufosse et al. (28)
Vacuole containing vesicles (3, D)
 MVB
B. Diao et al., unpub. data, https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.04.20031120
 Kidney
 Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (3)
 CCVs
 Roufosse et al. (28)
Abbate et al. (11)
 Kidney
 Spiked vesicle in cytoplasm (1)
 CCV
 NA
Menter et al. (12) Kidney Vacuoles containing vesicles (4, A–C) MVB, NA
Collection of membrane bound particles (4, D)
 Unidentifiable structure
Werion et al. (13)
 Kidney
 Circular vesicles with internal black dots (3, A–C)
 Outside-in RER
 NA
Tavazzi et al. (14)
 Heart
 Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (2, A–F)
 CCVs
 Dittmayer et al. (30)
Dolhnikoff et al. (15) Heart Roughly circular black structures (3, A, D) Unidentifiable structures Dittmayer et al. (30)
Clusters of dark particles, some associated with membranes (3, B, C)
 RER and clusters of ribosomes
Paniz-Mondolfi et al. (16) Brain Vacuole containing circular particles (3, A, B) Unidentifiable structures NA
Vacuole containing vesicles (1, C, D)
 MVB
Wang et al. (17)
 Liver
 Circular structures with surrounding black dots (1, M; 2, J)
 Vesiculating RER
 NA
Qian et al. (18)
 Intestine
 Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (3, A, B)
 CCVs
 NA
Colmenero et al. (19)
 Skin
 Spiked vesicle in cytoplasm (4, D)
 CCV
 NA
Hosier et al. (20) Placenta Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (4, C–F) CCVs NA
Spherical particles (4, G–I)
 Unidentifiable structures
Algarroba et al. (21)
 Placenta
 Spiked vesicles in cytoplasm (2–6)
 CCVs
 NA
Sisman et al. (22) Placenta Vacuole containing circular particles (1, C) Unidentifiable structures NA

*CCV, clathrin or coatomer coated vesicles; MVB, multivesicular body; NA, not applicable; RER, rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Main Article

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