Unconventional secretion of unglycosylated ORF8 is critical for the cytokine storm during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

ABSTRACT: Coronavirus disease 2019 is a respiratory infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Evidence on the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 is accumulating rapidly. In addition to structural proteins such as Spike and Envelope, the functional roles of non-structural and accessory proteins in regulating viral life cycle and host immune responses remain to be understood. Here, we show that open reading frame 8 (ORF8) acts as messenger for inter-cellular communication between alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Mechanistically, ORF8 is a secretory protein that can be secreted by infected epithelial cells via both conventional and unconventional secretory pathways. Conventionally secreted ORF8 is glycosylated and loses

SUBMITTER: Lin X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9894554 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature