[PDF][PDF] SARS-CoV-2 exacerbates proinflammatory responses in myeloid cells through C-type lectin receptors and Tweety family member 2

Q Lu, J Liu, S Zhao, MFG Castro, M Laurent-Rolle… - Immunity, 2021 - cell.com
Q Lu, J Liu, S Zhao, MFG Castro, M Laurent-Rolle, J Dong, X Ran, P Damani-Yokota
Immunity, 2021cell.com
Despite mounting evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-
2) engagement with immune cells, most express little, if any, of the canonical receptor of
SARS-CoV-2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Here, using a myeloid cell receptor-
focused ectopic expression screen, we identified several C-type lectins (DC-SIGN, L-SIGN,
LSECtin, ASGR1, and CLEC10A) and Tweety family member 2 (TTYH2) as glycan-
dependent binding partners of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. Except for TTYH2, these molecules …
Summary
Despite mounting evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) engagement with immune cells, most express little, if any, of the canonical receptor of SARS-CoV-2, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Here, using a myeloid cell receptor-focused ectopic expression screen, we identified several C-type lectins (DC-SIGN, L-SIGN, LSECtin, ASGR1, and CLEC10A) and Tweety family member 2 (TTYH2) as glycan-dependent binding partners of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. Except for TTYH2, these molecules primarily interacted with spike via regions outside of the receptor-binding domain. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of pulmonary cells from individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) indicated predominant expression of these molecules on myeloid cells. Although these receptors do not support active replication of SARS-CoV-2, their engagement with the virus induced robust proinflammatory responses in myeloid cells that correlated with COVID-19 severity. We also generated a bispecific anti-spike nanobody that not only blocked ACE2-mediated infection but also the myeloid receptor-mediated proinflammatory responses. Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2-myeloid receptor interactions promote immune hyperactivation, which represents potential targets for COVID-19 therapy.
cell.com