SARS-CoV-2: Receptor and Co-receptor Tropism Probability

• Published in: Current microbiology 2022-05, Vol.79 (5), p.133-133, Article 133
• Main Authors: Eslami, Narges, Aghbash, Parisa Shiri, Shamekh, Ali, Entezari-Maleki, Taher, Nahand, Javid Sadri, Sales, Abolfazl Jafari, Baghi, Hossein Bannazadeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACE2; Amino acids; Angiotensin; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Binding; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Humans; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Organs; Pandemics; Pathogenesis; Peptidyl-dipeptidase A; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A - metabolism; Probability; Proteins; Public health; Receptors; Receptors, Virus - genetics; Receptors, Virus - metabolism; Respiratory diseases; Review; Review Article; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; Spike protein; Tropism; Vertebrates; Viral diseases; Viruses
• ISSN: 0343-8651; 1432-0991
• DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02807-7

The recent pandemic which arose from China, is caused by a pathogenic virus named “severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)”. Its rapid global expansion has inflicted an extreme public health concern. The attachment of receptor-binding domains (RBD) of the spike proteins (S) to the host cell’s membrane, with or without the help of other cellular components such as proteases and especially co-receptors, is required for the first stage of its pathogenesis. In addition to humans, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is found on a wide range of vertebrate host’s cellular surface. SARS-CoV-2 has a broad spectrum of tropism; thus, it can infect a vast range of tissues, organs, and hosts; even though the surface amino acids of the spike protein conflict in the receptor-binding region. Due to the heterogeneous ACE2 distribution and the presence of different domains on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein for binding, the virus entry into diverse host cell types may depend on the host cells’ receptor presentation with or without co-receptors. This review investigates multiple current types of receptor and co-receptor tropisms, with other molecular factors alongside their respective mechanisms, which facilitate the binding and entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the cells, extending the severity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Understanding the pathogenesis of COVID-19 from this perspective can effectively help prevent this disease and provide more potent treatment strategies, particularly in vulnerable people with various cellular-level susceptibilities.