SARS-CoV-2 Accessory Protein Orf7b Induces Lung Injury via c-Myc Mediated Apoptosis and Ferroptosis.

ABSTRACT: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been the foremost modern global public health challenge. The airway is the primary target in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, with substantial cell death and lung injury being signature hallmarks of exposure. The viral factors that contribute to cell death and lung injury remain incompletely understood. Thus, this study investigated the role of open reading frame 7b (Orf7b), an accessory protein of the virus, in causing lung injury. In screening viral proteins, we identified Orf7b as one of the major viral factors that mediates lung epithelial cell death. Overexpression of Orf7b leads to apoptosis and ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells, and inhibitors of apoptosis and ferroptosis ablat

SUBMITTER: Deshpande R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10816122 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature