Looking for pathways related to COVID-19: confirmation of pathogenic mechanisms by SARS-CoV-2–host interactome

Francesco Messina, Emanuela Giombini, Chiara Montaldo, Ashish Arunkumar Sharma, Antonio Zoccoli, Rafick Pierre Sekaly, Franco Locatelli, Alimuddin Zumla, Markus Maeurer, Maria R. Capobianchi, Francesco Nicola Lauria, Giuseppe Ippolito

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In the last months, many studies have clearly described several mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection at cell and tissue level, but the mechanisms of interaction between host and SARS-CoV-2, determining the grade of COVID-19 severity, are still unknown. We provide a network analysis on protein–protein interactions (PPI) between viral and host proteins to better identify host biological responses, induced by both whole proteome of SARS-CoV-2 and specific viral proteins. A host-virus interactome was inferred, applying an explorative algorithm (Random Walk with Restart, RWR) triggered by 28 proteins of SARS-CoV-2. The analysis of PPI allowed to estimate the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in the host cell. Interactome built around one single viral protein allowed to define a different response, underlining as ORF8 and ORF3a modulated cardiovascular diseases and pro-inflammatory pathways, respectively. Finally, the network-based approach highlighted a possible direct action of ORF3a and NS7b to enhancing Bradykinin Storm. This network-based representation of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a framework for pathogenic evaluation of specific clinical outcomes. We identified possible host responses induced by specific proteins of SARS-CoV-2, underlining the important role of specific viral accessory proteins in pathogenic phenotypes of severe COVID-19 patients.

Original languageEnglish
Article number788
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalCell Death and Disease
Volume12
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Cancer Research

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