Project description:To explore the effects of SARS-CoV-2 proteins on expression of host genes in lung of infected mice, 4 groups of K18-hACE2 mice (4 mice per group) were mock-infected or infected cells with SARS-CoV-2 WT or its NPS1, or NSP15 mutants respectively.The mice were euthanized at 4 days post-infection to collect the lungs to isolate RNA for RNA sequencing.
Project description:The development of tractable animal models that faithfully reproduce COVID-19 pathogenesis would arguably be a major benefit. Infection of transgenic mice expressing the human version of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor (hACE2) by intranasal instillation of a liquid SARS-CoV-2 suspension under deep anesthesia results in disproportionate high CNS infection leading to fatal encephalitis, which is rarely observed in humans and severely limits this model’s usefulness. Here, we describe the characterization of a novel COVID-19 mouse model based on an inhalation tower system that allows to expose unanesthetized mice to aerosolized virus under controlled conditions. Aerosol exposure of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice to SARS-CoV-2 resulted in robust viral replication in the respiratory tract, anosmia, and airway obstruction, but did not lead to fatal viral neuroinvasion. When compared to intranasal inoculation, aerosol infection resulted in a more pronounced lung pathology including increased immune infiltration, fibrin deposition and a transcriptional signature comparable to that observed in humans. This model may prove useful for studies of viral transmission, disease pathogenesis (including long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection) and therapeutic interventions.
Project description:hACE2 transgenic mice were infected with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain (B.1) and the Beta (B.1.351) variant. Lung and spleen samples were collected 1 day post infection (DPI), 3 DPI and 5 DPI, and mRNA was sequenced.
Project description:We evaluate heterozygous transgenic mice expressing human ACE2 receptor driven by the epithelial cell promoter cytokeratin-18 promoter (K18-hACE2) as a model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Intranasal inoculation of K18-hACE2 mice with SARS-CoV-2 results in high levels of infection in the lung parenchyma with spread to other organs.
Project description:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected millions of individuals worldwide, causing a severe global pandemic. Mice models are wildly used to investigate viral infection pathology, antiviral drugs, and vaccine development. However, since wild-type mice do not express human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), which mediates SARS-CoV-2 entry into human cells, they are not susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and are not suitable to simulate symptomatic COVID-19 disease. HACE2 transgenic mice could provide an efficient model, but they are expensive, not always readily available and practically restricted to specific strain(s). Since additional models are needed to study the disease at varying genetic and immune backgrounds, there is a dearth of mouse models for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here we report the application of lentiviral vectors to generate hACE2 expression in mouse lung epithelial cells (LET1) as well as in interferon receptor knock-out (IFNAR1-/-) mice. Lenti-hACE2 transduction supported SARS-CoV-2 replication both in vitro and in vivo, simulating mild acute lung disease1. Gene expression analysis revealed two modes of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection: one in response to the exposure of mouse lungs to SARS-CoV-2 particles in the absence of productive viral replication, and the second in response to a productive infection. This approach expands our knowledge on the role of type-1 interferon signaling in COVID-19 disease, and can be further implemented for a range of COVID-19 studies and drug development.
Project description:Diverse severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have emerged since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the immunological and pathological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 beta variant of concern (VOC) compared to the ancestral strain. To investigate a broad spectrum of immunological responses and to determine the underlying mechanisms of differentially expressed cytokines, we analyzed the whole transcriptome of lung homogenates from SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain- and beta variant-infected mice at 4 and 6 dpi.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The first step of SARS-CoV-2 infection is the recognition of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptors by the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike (S) glycoprotein. Although the molecular and structural bases of the SARS-CoV-2-RBD/hACE2 interaction have been thoroughly investigated in vitro, the relationship between hACE2 expression and in vivo infection is less understood. Here, we developed an efficient SARS-CoV-2-RBD binding assay suitable for super resolution microscopy and simultaneous hACE2 immunodetection and mapped the correlation between hACE2 receptor abundance and SARS-CoV-2-RBD binding, both in vitro and in human lung biopsies. Next, we explored the specific proteome of SARS-CoV-2-RBD/hACE2 through a comparative mass spectrometry approach. We found that only a minority of hACE2 positive spots are actually SARS-CoV-2-RBD binding sites, and that the relationship between SARS-CoV-2-RBD binding and hACE2 presence is variable, suggesting the existence of additional factors. Indeed, we found several interactors that are involved in receptor localization and viral entry and characterized one of them: SLC1A5, an amino acid transporter. High-resolution receptor-binding studies showed that co-expression of membrane-bound SLC1A5 with hACE2 predicted SARS-CoV-2 binding and entry better than hACE2 expression alone. Accordingly, SLC1A5 depletion reduces SARS-CoV-2 binding and entry. Notably, the Omicron variant is more efficient in binding hACE2 sites, but equally sensitive to SLC1A5 downregulation. We propose a method for mapping functional SARS-CoV-2 receptors in vivo. We confirm the existence of hACE2 co-factors that may contribute to differential sensitivity of cells to infection.