Abstract
The gateway for invasion by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into human host cells is via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transmembrane receptor expressed in multiple immune and nonimmune cell types. SARS-CoV-2, that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; CoV-19) has the unusual capacity to attack many different types of human host cells simultaneously via novel clathrin- and caveolae-independent endocytic pathways, becoming injurious to diverse cells, tissues and organ systems and exploiting any immune weakness in the host. The elicitation of this multipronged attack explains in part the severity and extensive variety of signs and symptoms observed in CoV-19 patients. To further our understanding of the mechanism and pathways of SARS-CoV-2 infection and susceptibility of specific cell- and tissue-types and organ systems to SARS-CoV-2 attack in this communication we analyzed ACE2 expression in 85 human tissues including 21 different brain regions, 7 fetal tissues and 8 controls. Besides strong ACE2 expression in respiratory, digestive, renal-excretory and reproductive cells, high ACE2 expression was also found in the amygdala, cerebral cortex and brainstem. The highest ACE2 expression level was found in the pons and medulla oblongata in the human brainstem, containing the medullary respiratory centers of the brain, and may in part explain the susceptibility of many CoV-19 patients to severe respiratory distress.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor; COVID-19; CoV-19; Coronavirus; Hartnup’s disease; SARS-CoV-2; miRNA-5197; microRNA; single stranded RNA (ssRNA).
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, microRNA, Alzheimer’s disease, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, CoV-19, Hartnup's disease, miRNA-5197, single stranded RNA (ssRNA)., 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Coronavirus disease 2019, ACE2, SARS-COV-2 infection, susceptibility, severity, microRNA, miRNA, Symptom, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, immune, Brain, Alzheimer’s disease, RNA, cells, Signs and symptoms, Patient, pathway, Brainstem, Medulla oblongata, receptor, ACE2 expression, patients, mechanism, Angiotensin-converting enzyme, Hartnup's disease, angiotensin, Pathways, Invasion, cell types, respiratory distress, cerebral cortex, organ systems, organ system, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, tissue, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, tissues, enzyme, Severe respiratory distress, weakness, transmembrane, endocytic pathways, ssRNA, human host cells, clathrin, brain regions, gateway, Host, controls, Cell, pons, highest, analyzed, human tissue, variety, expressed, digestive, cause, explain, reproductive, fetal, human host cell, oblongata, 【제목키워드】 Infectivity, target,