SARS-CoV-2 entry factors are highly expressed in nasal epithelial cells together with innate immune genes

  • Biology
  • Genomics
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Disease
  • José Ordovas-Montañes
  • Alex K. Shalek
  • Sungnak et al.▾
    Sungnak, W., Huang, N., Bécavin, C., Berg, M., Queen, R., Litvinukova, M., Talavera-López, C., Maatz, H., Reichart, D., Sampaziotis, F., Worlock, K.B., Yoshida, M., Barnes J.L., HCA Lung Biological Network
  • Nature Medicine
  • April, 2020
Biology
Genomics
Immunology
Infectious Disease
José Ordovas-Montañes
Alex K. Shalek

Abstract

We investigated SARS-CoV-2 potential tropism by surveying expression of viral entry-associated genes in single-cell RNA-sequencing data from multiple tissues from healthy human donors. We co-detected these transcripts in specific respiratory, corneal and intestinal epithelial cells, potentially explaining the high efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. These genes are co-expressed in nasal epithelial cells with genes involved in innate immunity, highlighting the cells’ potential role in initial viral infection, spread and clearance. The study offers a useful resource for further lines of inquiry with valuable clinical samples from COVID-19 patients and we provide our data in a comprehensive, open and user-friendly fashion at www.covid19cellatlas.org.

SARS-CoV-2 entry factors are highly expressed in nasal epithelial cells together with innate immune genes