Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes
The co-occurrence and the similarities between malaria and COVID-19 diseases raise the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 is capable of infecting red blood cells and, if so, whether these cells represent a competent niche for the virus. In this study, we first tested whether CD147 functions as an altern...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1120298/full |
| _version_ | 1827991394742960128 |
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| author | Diana López-Farfán Nerea Irigoyen Elena Gómez-Díaz |
| author_facet | Diana López-Farfán Nerea Irigoyen Elena Gómez-Díaz |
| author_sort | Diana López-Farfán |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The co-occurrence and the similarities between malaria and COVID-19 diseases raise the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 is capable of infecting red blood cells and, if so, whether these cells represent a competent niche for the virus. In this study, we first tested whether CD147 functions as an alternative receptor of SARS-CoV-2 to infect host cells. Our results show that transient expression of ACE2 but not CD147 in HEK293T allows SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses entry and infection. Secondly, using a SARS-CoV-2 wild type virus isolate we tested whether the new coronavirus could bind and enter erythrocytes. Here, we report that 10,94% of red blood cells had SARS-CoV-2 bound to the membrane or inside the cell. Finally, we hypothesized that the presence of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, could make erythrocytes more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to red blood cell membrane remodelling. However, we found a low coinfection rate (9,13%), suggesting that P. falciparum would not facilitate the entry of SARS-CoV-2 virus into malaria-infected erythrocytes. Besides, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a P. falciparum blood culture did not affect the survival or growth rate of the malaria parasite. Our results are significant because they do not support the role of CD147 in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and indicate, that mature erythrocytes would not be an important reservoir for the virus in our body, although they can be transiently infected. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:51:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c0b93700b5764592b49caa36b27123b0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:51:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c0b93700b5764592b49caa36b27123b02023-03-13T10:44:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242023-03-011410.3389/fimmu.2023.11202981120298Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytesDiana López-Farfán0Nerea Irigoyen1Elena Gómez-Díaz2Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, SpainDivision of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomInstituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, SpainThe co-occurrence and the similarities between malaria and COVID-19 diseases raise the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 is capable of infecting red blood cells and, if so, whether these cells represent a competent niche for the virus. In this study, we first tested whether CD147 functions as an alternative receptor of SARS-CoV-2 to infect host cells. Our results show that transient expression of ACE2 but not CD147 in HEK293T allows SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses entry and infection. Secondly, using a SARS-CoV-2 wild type virus isolate we tested whether the new coronavirus could bind and enter erythrocytes. Here, we report that 10,94% of red blood cells had SARS-CoV-2 bound to the membrane or inside the cell. Finally, we hypothesized that the presence of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, could make erythrocytes more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to red blood cell membrane remodelling. However, we found a low coinfection rate (9,13%), suggesting that P. falciparum would not facilitate the entry of SARS-CoV-2 virus into malaria-infected erythrocytes. Besides, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a P. falciparum blood culture did not affect the survival or growth rate of the malaria parasite. Our results are significant because they do not support the role of CD147 in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and indicate, that mature erythrocytes would not be an important reservoir for the virus in our body, although they can be transiently infected.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1120298/fullCOVID-19malarianovel coronavirusACE2CD147red blood cells |
| spellingShingle | Diana López-Farfán Nerea Irigoyen Elena Gómez-Díaz Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes Frontiers in Immunology COVID-19 malaria novel coronavirus ACE2 CD147 red blood cells |
| title | Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes |
| title_full | Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes |
| title_fullStr | Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes |
| title_short | Exploring SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes |
| title_sort | exploring sars cov 2 and plasmodium falciparum coinfection in human erythrocytes |
| topic | COVID-19 malaria novel coronavirus ACE2 CD147 red blood cells |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1120298/full |
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