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

Biology Biology
Genomics Genomics
Immunology Immunology
Infectious Disease Infectious Disease
Alex K. Shalek Alex K. Shalek
José Ordovas-Montañes José Ordovas-Montañes

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

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.