Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome.
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms are reported to have worse prognosis. Ace2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), the gene encoding the host protein to which SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins bind, is expressed in the gut and therefore may be a target for preven...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248730 |
| _version_ | 1818891777918107648 |
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| author | Sean T Koester Naisi Li Daniel M Lachance Norma M Morella Neelendu Dey |
| author_facet | Sean T Koester Naisi Li Daniel M Lachance Norma M Morella Neelendu Dey |
| author_sort | Sean T Koester |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms are reported to have worse prognosis. Ace2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), the gene encoding the host protein to which SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins bind, is expressed in the gut and therefore may be a target for preventing or reducing severity of COVID-19. Here we test the hypothesis that Ace2 expression in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts is modulated by the microbiome. We used quantitative PCR to profile Ace2 expression in germ-free mice, conventional raised specific pathogen-free mice, and gnotobiotic mice colonized with different microbiota. Intestinal Ace2 expression levels were significantly higher in germ-free mice compared to conventional mice. A similar trend was observed in the respiratory tract. Intriguingly, microbiota depletion via antibiotics partially recapitulated the germ-free phenotype, suggesting potential for microbiome-mediated regulation of Ace2 expression. Variability in intestinal Ace2 expression was observed in gnotobiotic mice colonized with different microbiota, partially attributable to differences in microbiome-encoded proteases and peptidases. Together, these data suggest that the microbiome may be one modifiable factor determining COVID-19 infection risk and disease severity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:46:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-922b050a51354521922ee56169ae2553 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T17:46:12Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-922b050a51354521922ee56169ae25532022-12-21T20:12:03ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01163e024873010.1371/journal.pone.0248730Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome.Sean T KoesterNaisi LiDaniel M LachanceNorma M MorellaNeelendu DeyCOVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients exhibiting gastrointestinal symptoms are reported to have worse prognosis. Ace2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), the gene encoding the host protein to which SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins bind, is expressed in the gut and therefore may be a target for preventing or reducing severity of COVID-19. Here we test the hypothesis that Ace2 expression in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts is modulated by the microbiome. We used quantitative PCR to profile Ace2 expression in germ-free mice, conventional raised specific pathogen-free mice, and gnotobiotic mice colonized with different microbiota. Intestinal Ace2 expression levels were significantly higher in germ-free mice compared to conventional mice. A similar trend was observed in the respiratory tract. Intriguingly, microbiota depletion via antibiotics partially recapitulated the germ-free phenotype, suggesting potential for microbiome-mediated regulation of Ace2 expression. Variability in intestinal Ace2 expression was observed in gnotobiotic mice colonized with different microbiota, partially attributable to differences in microbiome-encoded proteases and peptidases. Together, these data suggest that the microbiome may be one modifiable factor determining COVID-19 infection risk and disease severity.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248730 |
| spellingShingle | Sean T Koester Naisi Li Daniel M Lachance Norma M Morella Neelendu Dey Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome. PLoS ONE |
| title | Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome. |
| title_full | Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome. |
| title_fullStr | Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome. |
| title_short | Variability in digestive and respiratory tract Ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome. |
| title_sort | variability in digestive and respiratory tract ace2 expression is associated with the microbiome |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248730 |
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