Single-Cell RNA Expression Profiling of ACE2, the Receptor of SARS-CoV-2
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Abstract
Abstract A novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December of 2019. According to WHO report, this new coronavirus has resulted in 76,392 confirmed infections and 2,348 deaths in China by 22 February, 2020, with additional patients being identified in a rapidly growing number internationally. SARS-CoV-2 was reported to share the same receptor, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), with SARS-CoV. Here based on the public database and the state-of-the-art single-cell RNA-Seq technique, we analyzed the ACE2 RNA expression profile in the normal human lungs. The result indicates that the ACE2 virus receptor expression is concentrated in a small population of type II alveolar cells (AT2). Surprisingly, we found that this population of ACE2-expressing AT2 also highly expressed many other genes that positively regulating viral entry, reproduction and transmission. This study provides a biological background for the epidemic investigation of the COVID-19, and could be informative for future anti-ACE2 therapeutic strategy development.
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COVID-19 occurs predominantly in men, which may be explained at least in part by a higher expression of ACE2 on male versus female cells.
“COVID-19 occurs predominantly in men, 11-13 which may be explained, at least in part, by a higher expression of ACE2 on male versus female cells.”
From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [14]
In the paper’s discussion of donor ACE2-expression patterns (page not supplied), the authors suggest that differences between individuals might affect vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2. They do not report higher ACE2 expression in male than female cells; with their small sample, they found no significant association between ACE2-expressing cell numbers and donor characteristics. The paper therefore supports the proposed ACE2–vulnerability link, but not the sex-specific explanation. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredACE2 expression has been reported for many tissues/organs including the lung, brain, kidney, small intestine, colon, and heart.
“ACE2 expression has been reported for many tissues/organs including the lung (ie, lung type II alveolar cells/AT2, bronchial epithelial cells), brain, kidney, small intestine, colon, and heart.”
From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [14]
The paper’s main text (page unavailable) reports ACE2 expression in lung AT2 cells and other airway epithelial cells, and says previous studies found expression in the lung and other organs. It does not name the brain, kidney, small intestine, colon, or heart, so the specific list of non-lung organs is not supported by our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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- Authors
- Zhao, Y., Zhao, Z., Wang, Y., Zhou, Y., Ma, Y., & Zuo, W.
- Affiliations
- Shanghai East Hospital (CN)
- Regend Therapeutics (China) (CN)
- First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Zuo, Wei
- Venue
- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2020-09-01
- Volume
- 202
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 756-759
- ISSN
- 1073-449X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-4970
- PMC
- PMC7462411
- OpenAlex
- W3043002108
- Cited by
- 916
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 82 · 2022: 161 · 2021: 302 · 2020: 296 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 27.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2021-03-15)
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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 › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Renin-Angiotensin System Studies
- Keywords
- ACE2, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pandemic, single-cell RNA sequencing, alveolar type II cells, lung gene expression, viral entry
- MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A, Pneumonia, Viral, RNA, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics
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