Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33082293.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.abd2985 and PMC identifier 7857391.
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Abstract
The causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For many viruses, tissue tropism is determined by the availability of virus receptors and entry cofactors on the surface of host cells. In this study, we found that neuropilin-1 (NRP1), known to bind furin-cleaved substrates, significantly potentiates SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, an effect blocked by a monoclonal blocking antibody against NRP1. A SARS-CoV-2 mutant with an altered furin cleavage site did not depend on NRP1 for infectivity. Pathological analysis of olfactory epithelium obtained from human COVID-19 autopsies revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infected NRP1-positive cells facing the nasal cavity. Our data provide insight into SARS-CoV-2 cell infectivity and define a potential target for antiviral intervention.
Medical subject headings
- Betacoronavirus
- Coronavirus Infections
- Neuropilin-1
- Pneumonia, Viral
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
- Virus Internalization