1. TMPRSS2 promotes SARS-CoV-2 evasion from NCOA7-mediated restriction.
- Author
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Khan H, Winstone H, Jimenez-Guardeño JM, Graham C, Doores KJ, Goujon C, Matthews DA, Davidson AD, Rihn SJ, Palmarini M, Neil SJD, and Malim MH
- Subjects
- Cell Line, Endosomes metabolism, Furin genetics, Gene Expression, Humans, Immune Evasion, Interferons metabolism, Lysosomes enzymology, Nuclear Receptor Coactivators genetics, Protein Isoforms, Proteolysis, Serine Endopeptidases genetics, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus metabolism, Viral Pseudotyping, Virus Internalization, COVID-19 virology, Furin metabolism, Nuclear Receptor Coactivators metabolism, SARS-CoV-2 physiology, Serine Endopeptidases metabolism
- Abstract
Interferons play a critical role in regulating host immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, but the interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene (ISG) effectors that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 are not well characterized. The IFN-inducible short isoform of human nuclear receptor coactivator 7 (NCOA7) inhibits endocytic virus entry, interacts with the vacuolar ATPase, and promotes endo-lysosomal vesicle acidification and lysosomal protease activity. Here, we used ectopic expression and gene knockout to demonstrate that NCOA7 inhibits infection by SARS-CoV-2 as well as by lentivirus particles pseudotyped with SARS-CoV-2 Spike in lung epithelial cells. Infection with the highly pathogenic, SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, or seasonal, HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63, coronavirus Spike-pseudotyped viruses was also inhibited by NCOA7. Importantly, either overexpression of TMPRSS2, which promotes plasma membrane fusion versus endosomal fusion of SARS-CoV-2, or removal of Spike's polybasic furin cleavage site rendered SARS-CoV-2 less sensitive to NCOA7 restriction. Collectively, our data indicate that furin cleavage sensitizes SARS-CoV-2 Spike to the antiviral consequences of endosomal acidification by NCOA7, and suggest that the acquisition of furin cleavage may have favoured the co-option of cell surface TMPRSS proteases as a strategy to evade the suppressive effects of IFN-induced endo-lysosomal dysregulation on virus infection., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2021
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