tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Mol Biol Cell
. 2022 Oct 26;mbcE22020045.
doi: 10.1091/mbc.E22-02-0045. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 downregulates ACE2 through lysosomal degradation
Yi Lu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qingwei Zhu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Douglas M Fox[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Carol Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sarah A Stanley[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Kunxin Luo[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) utilizes its Spike (S) glycoprotein to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for cellular entry. ACE2 is a critical negative regulator of the Renin-Angiotensin system and plays a protective role in preventing tissue injury. Expression of ACE2 has been shown to decrease upon infection by SARS-CoV. However, whether SARS-CoV-2 downregulates ACE2, as well as the underlying mechanism and biological impact of this downregulation have not been well defined. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 infection downregulates ACE2 in vivo in an animal model, and in cultured cells in vitro, SARS-CoV-2 S protein downregulates ACE2 by inducing clathrin- and AP2-dependent endocytosis, leading to its degradation in the lysosome. SARS-CoV-2 S-treated cells and ACE2 knockdown cells exhibit similar alterations in downstream gene expression, with a pattern indicative of activated cytokine signaling that is associated with respiratory distress and inflammatory diseases often observed in COVID-19 patients. Finally, we have identified a soluble ACE2 fragment with a stronger binding to SARS-CoV-2 S that can efficiently block ACE2 downregulation and viral infection. Thus, our study suggests that ACE2 downregulation represents an important mechanism underlying SARS-CoV-2-associated pathology, and blocking this process could be a promising therapeutic strategy.
. 2022 Oct 26;mbcE22020045.
doi: 10.1091/mbc.E22-02-0045. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 downregulates ACE2 through lysosomal degradation
Yi Lu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qingwei Zhu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Douglas M Fox[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Carol Gao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sarah A Stanley[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Kunxin Luo[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36287912
- DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E22-02-0045
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) utilizes its Spike (S) glycoprotein to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for cellular entry. ACE2 is a critical negative regulator of the Renin-Angiotensin system and plays a protective role in preventing tissue injury. Expression of ACE2 has been shown to decrease upon infection by SARS-CoV. However, whether SARS-CoV-2 downregulates ACE2, as well as the underlying mechanism and biological impact of this downregulation have not been well defined. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 infection downregulates ACE2 in vivo in an animal model, and in cultured cells in vitro, SARS-CoV-2 S protein downregulates ACE2 by inducing clathrin- and AP2-dependent endocytosis, leading to its degradation in the lysosome. SARS-CoV-2 S-treated cells and ACE2 knockdown cells exhibit similar alterations in downstream gene expression, with a pattern indicative of activated cytokine signaling that is associated with respiratory distress and inflammatory diseases often observed in COVID-19 patients. Finally, we have identified a soluble ACE2 fragment with a stronger binding to SARS-CoV-2 S that can efficiently block ACE2 downregulation and viral infection. Thus, our study suggests that ACE2 downregulation represents an important mechanism underlying SARS-CoV-2-associated pathology, and blocking this process could be a promising therapeutic strategy.