Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A . SARS-CoV-2 infection of airway cells causes intense viral and cell shedding, two spreading mechanisms affected by IL-13

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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A


. 2022 Apr 19;119(16):e2119680119.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2119680119. Epub 2022 Mar 30.
SARS-CoV-2 infection of airway cells causes intense viral and cell shedding, two spreading mechanisms affected by IL-13


Cameron B Morrison ¹ , Caitlin E Edwards ² , Kendall M Shaffer ¹ , Kenza C Araba ¹ , Jason A Wykoff ¹ , Danielle R Williams ³ , Takanori Asakura ¹ , Hong Dang ¹ , Lisa C Morton ¹ , Rodney C Gilmore ¹ , Wanda K O'Neal ¹ , Richard C Boucher ¹ , Ralph S Baric ^{2 3} , Camille Ehre ^{1 4}



Affiliations

• PMID: 35353667
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119680119

Abstract

Significance Gaining insights into severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) high transmissibility and the role played by inflammatory mediators in viral proliferation are critical to investigating new therapeutic targets against COVID-19. Electron microscopy reveals important SARS-CoV-2 features, including the combination of large, rapidly released viral clusters and the massive shedding of epithelial cells packed with virions. Interleukin-13 (IL-13), a Th2 cytokine up-regulated in allergic asthma and associated with less severe COVID-19, protects against SARS-CoV-2 viral and cell shedding. Using gene expression analyses and biochemical assays, IL-13 is shown to affect viral entry, replication, and cell-to-cell transmission. Given the broad spectrum of COVID-19 clinical symptoms, it is important to elucidate intrinsic factors that modulate viral load and spreading mechanisms.

Keywords: IL-13 cytokine; SARS-CoV-2; asthma; human airway epithelial cells; infection.