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J Biochem . SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding selectively accelerates substrate-specific catalytic activity of ACE2

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
J Biochem


. 2021 Mar 27;mvab041.
doi: 10.1093/jb/mvab041. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding selectively accelerates substrate-specific catalytic activity of ACE2


Anna A Kiseleva[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Elizabeth M Troisi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Scott E Hensley[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rahul M Kohli[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Jonathan A Epstein[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]



Affiliations

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that has given rise to the devastating global pandemic. In most cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection results in the development of viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, known as "coronavirus disease 2019" or COVID-19. Intriguingly, besides the respiratory tract, COVID-19 affects other organs and systems of the human body. COVID-19 patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease have a higher risk of death, and SARS-CoV-2 infection itself may cause myocardial inflammation and injury. One possible explanation of such phenomena is the fact that SARS-CoV-2 utilizes angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the receptor required for viral entry. ACE2 is expressed in the cells of many organs, including the heart. ACE2 functions as a carboxypeptidase that can cleave several endogenous substrates, including angiotensin II, thus regulating blood pressure and vascular tone. It remains largely unknown if the SARS-CoV-2 infection alters the enzymatic properties of ACE2, thereby contributing to cardiovascular complications in patients with COVID-19. Here, we demonstrate that ACE2 cleavage of des-Arg9-bradykinin substrate analog is markedly accelerated, while cleavage of angiotensin II analog is minimally affected by the binding of spike protein. These findings may have implications for a better understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Keywords: ACE2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; spike protein.
 
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