Heterogeneous expression of the SARS-Coronavirus-2 receptor ACE2 in the human respiratory tract.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Zoonotically transmitted coronaviruses are responsible for three disease outbreaks since 2002, including the current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2. Its efficient transmission and range of disease severity raise questions regarding the contributions of virus-receptor interactions. ACE2 is a host ectopeptidase and the receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Numerous reports describe ACE2 mRNA abundance and tissue distribution; however, mRNA abundance is not always representative of protein levels. Currently, there is limited data evaluating ACE2 protein and its correlation with other SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility factors.

Materials and methods

We systematically examined the human upper and lower respiratory tract using single-cell RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry to d

SUBMITTER: Ortiz Bezara ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7302220 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature