Cited by 1,925SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchCOVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 detection and testing

Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity

Open access
Cantuti-Castelvetri, Ludovico, Ojha, Ravi, Pedro, Liliana D., Djannatian, Minou, Franz, Jonas, Kuivanen, Suvi, van der Meer, Franziska, Kallio, Katri +21 more·2020·Science

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Another host factor for SARS-CoV-2: Virus-host interactions determine cellular entry and spreading in tissues. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the earlier SARS-CoV use angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor; however, their tissue tropism differs, raising the possibility that additional host factors are involved. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 contains a cleavage site for the protease furin that is absent from SARS-CoV (see the Perspective by Kielian). Cantuti-Castelvetri et al. now show that neuropilin-1 (NRP1), which is known to bind furin-cleaved substrates, potentiates SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. NRP1 is abundantly expressed in the respiratory and olfactory epithelium, with highest expression in endothelial and epithelial cells. Daly et al. found that the furin-cleaved S1 fragment of the spike protein binds directly to cell surface NRP1 and blocking this interaction with a small-molecule inhibitor or monoclonal antibodies reduced viral infection in cell culture. Understanding the role of NRP1 in SARS-CoV-2 infection may suggest potential targets for future antiviral therapeutics. Science , this issue p. 856 , p. 861 ; see also p. 765

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  • Neuropilin1 (NRP1) is an important cofactor for SARS-CoV-2 entry, particularly in cells with low ACE2 expression.

    “Most recently, Neuropilin1 (NRP1) was identified as an important cofactor for entry, particularly in cells with low level ACE2 expression (Cantuti-Castelvetri et al., 2020).”

    From COVID-19 and the human innate immune system (2021) · cites this paper as Cantuti-Castelvetri et al., 2020

  • Mesenchymal cells across all ages and ventricles expressed Ace2, cathepsins (Ctsl and Ctsb), and Neuropilin-1 (NRP1).

    “Mesenchymal cells across all ages and ventricles expressed Ace2 (Angiotensin I converting enzyme 2; Figure 4J,S4J), the SARS-CoV-2 receptor, and other known and putative accessory components, including cathepsins (Ctsl and Ctsb (Muus et al., 2020)) and Neuropilin-1 (NRP1 (Cantuti-Castelvetri et al., 2020)) (Figure 4J, S4J).”

    From A cellular and spatial map of the choroid plexus across brain ventricles and ages (2021) · cites this paper as Cantuti-Castelvetri et al., 2020

  • NRP1 protein expression was validated in mesenchymal cells.

    “We also validated the expression of NRP1 protein, an effector of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity, in mesenchymal cells (Cantuti-Castelvetri et al., 2020) (Figure 4M).”

    From A cellular and spatial map of the choroid plexus across brain ventricles and ages (2021) · cites this paper as Cantuti-Castelvetri et al., 2020

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Authors
Cantuti-Castelvetri, L., Ojha, R., Pedro, L. D., Djannatian, M., Franz, J., Kuivanen, S., van der Meer, F., Kallio, K., Kaya, T., Anastasina, M., Smura, T., Levanov, L., Szirovicza, L., Tobi, A., Kallio-Kokko, H., Österlund, P., Joensuu, M., Meunier, F. A., Butcher, S. J., Winkler, M. S., Mollenhauer, B., Helenius, A., Gokce, O., Teesalu, T., Hepojoki, J., Vapalahti, O., Stadelmann, C., Balistreri, G., & Simons, M.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
  • University of Helsinki (FI)
  • German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DE)
  • Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (DE)
  • Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
  • Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
  • University of Tartu (EE)
  • Department of Virology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
  • Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (FI)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • ETH Zurich (CH)
  • Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
  • University of Zurich (CH)
Corresponding author
  • Ojha, Ravi
  • Pedro, Liliana D.
  • Djannatian, Minou
  • Franz, Jonas
  • Kuivanen, Suvi
  • Balistreri, Giuseppe
  • Simons, Mikael
Venue
Science
Published
2020-11-13
Volume
370
Issue
6518
Pages
856-860
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W3093867667
Cited by
1,925
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 56 · 2025: 120 · 2024: 211 · 2023: 277 · 2022: 461 · 2021: 669 · 2020: 128 · 2018: 2
FWCI
50.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Open access LMU (Ludwid Maxmilian's Universitat Munchen) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
  • mediaTUM (Technical University of Munich) (submittedVersion)
  • GoeScholar The Publication Server of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
ERC CoV
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
Keywords
neuropilin-1, SARS-CoV-2, viral entry, furin cleavage, spike protein, host factors, viral infectivity, monoclonal antibodies, small molecule inhibitors, antiviral agents, viral tropism, ACE2
MeSH terms
Protein Domains, Betacoronavirus, Host Microbial Interactions, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Female, Humans, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A, Lung, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mutation, Olfactory Mucosa, Peptide Fragments, Pneumonia, Viral, Protein Binding, Serine Endopeptidases, Coronavirus Infections, Caco-2 Cells, Respiratory Mucosa, Neuropilin-1, Neuropilin-2, Mice, Virus Internalization, Metal Nanoparticles, HEK293 Cells, Pandemics, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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