BSG/CD147 and ACE2 receptors facilitate SARS-CoV-2 infection of human iPS cell-derived kidney podocytes.
Titilola D KalejaiyeRohan BhattacharyaMorgan A BurtTatianna TraviesoArinze E OkaforXingrui MouMaria BlasiSamira MusahPublished in: bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology (2021)
Many patients with COVID19 disease exhibit multiorgan complications, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection can extend beyond the respiratory system. Acute kidney injury is a common COVID-19 complication contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. Still, SARS-Cov-2 affinity for specialized kidney cells remain less clear. By leveraging our protocol for stem cell differentiation, we show that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect kidney glomerular podocytes by using multiple Spike-binding proteins including ACE2 and BSG/CD147. Our results also indicate that infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause podocyte cell death and foot process effacement, a hallmark of podocytopathies including collapsing glomerulopathy observed in patients with severe COVID-19 disease. This stem cell-derived model is potentially useful for kidney-specific antiviral drug screening and mechanistic studies of COVID-19 organotropism.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- cell death
- high glucose
- acute kidney injury
- diabetic nephropathy
- coronavirus disease
- endothelial cells
- cell cycle arrest
- induced apoptosis
- randomized controlled trial
- angiotensin ii
- angiotensin converting enzyme
- risk factors
- early onset
- emergency department
- drug induced
- signaling pathway
- adverse drug