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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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