tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PeerJ
. 2023 Mar 2;11:e14918.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14918. eCollection 2023.
SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant replicates and induces syncytia formation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages
Theeradej Thaweerattanasinp[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Asawin Wanitchang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Janya Saenboonrueng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kanjana Srisutthisamphan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nanchaya Wanasen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Suttipun Sungsuwan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anan Jongkaewwattana[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Thanathom Chailangkarn[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Alveolar macrophages are tissue-resident immune cells that protect epithelial cells in the alveoli from invasion by pathogens, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, the interaction between macrophages and SARS-CoV-2 is inevitable. However, little is known about the role of macrophages in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we generated macrophages from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to investigate the susceptibility of hiPSC-derived macrophages (iMΦ) to the authentic SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants as well as their gene expression profiles of proinflammatory cytokines during infection. With undetectable angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA and protein expression, iMΦ were susceptible to productive infection with the Delta variant, whereas infection of iMΦ with the Omicron variant was abortive. Interestingly, Delta induced cell-cell fusion or syncytia formation in iMΦ, which was not observed in Omicron-infected cells. However, iMΦ expressed moderate levels of proinflammatory cytokine genes in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, in contrast to strong upregulation of these cytokine genes in response to polarization by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Overall, our findings indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant can replicate and cause syncytia formation in macrophages, suggesting that the Delta variant can enter cells with undetectable ACE2 levels and exhibit greater fusogenicity.
Keywords: Cytokines; Human induced pluripotent stem cells; Macrophages; SARS-CoV-2; Syncytia.
. 2023 Mar 2;11:e14918.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.14918. eCollection 2023.
SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant replicates and induces syncytia formation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages
Theeradej Thaweerattanasinp[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Asawin Wanitchang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Janya Saenboonrueng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kanjana Srisutthisamphan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nanchaya Wanasen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Suttipun Sungsuwan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anan Jongkaewwattana[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Thanathom Chailangkarn[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36883057
- PMCID: PMC9985896
- DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14918
Abstract
Alveolar macrophages are tissue-resident immune cells that protect epithelial cells in the alveoli from invasion by pathogens, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, the interaction between macrophages and SARS-CoV-2 is inevitable. However, little is known about the role of macrophages in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we generated macrophages from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to investigate the susceptibility of hiPSC-derived macrophages (iMΦ) to the authentic SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants as well as their gene expression profiles of proinflammatory cytokines during infection. With undetectable angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA and protein expression, iMΦ were susceptible to productive infection with the Delta variant, whereas infection of iMΦ with the Omicron variant was abortive. Interestingly, Delta induced cell-cell fusion or syncytia formation in iMΦ, which was not observed in Omicron-infected cells. However, iMΦ expressed moderate levels of proinflammatory cytokine genes in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, in contrast to strong upregulation of these cytokine genes in response to polarization by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Overall, our findings indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant can replicate and cause syncytia formation in macrophages, suggesting that the Delta variant can enter cells with undetectable ACE2 levels and exhibit greater fusogenicity.
Keywords: Cytokines; Human induced pluripotent stem cells; Macrophages; SARS-CoV-2; Syncytia.