SARS-CoV-2 infectivity can be modulated through bacterial grooming of the glycocalyx.

ABSTRACT: The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a site of replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and GI symptoms are often reported by patients. SARS-CoV-2 cell entry depends upon heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans, which commensal bacteria that bathe the human mucosa are known to modify. To explore human gut HS-modifying bacterial abundances and how their presence may impact SARS-CoV-2 infection, we developed a task-based analysis of proteoglycan degradation on large-scale shotgun metagenomic data. We observed that gut bacteria with high predicted catabolic capacity for HS differ by age and sex, factors associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity, and directly by disease severity during/after infection, but do not vary between subjects with COVID-1

SUBMITTER: Martino C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11980591 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature