Lung Epithelial Regulation of BCL2 Related Protein A1 (BCL2A1) by Coronaviruses (SARS-CoV) and Type I Interferon Signaling

  1. Chilakamarti V. Ramana

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Abstract

Highly pathogenic respiratory viruses such as 1918 influenza (HIN1) and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) induce significant lung injury with diffuse alveolar damage, capillary leak, and extensive cell death resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Direct effects of the virus, as well as host immune response such as proinflammatory cytokine production, contribute to programmed cell death or apoptosis. Alveolar lung epithelial type II (AT2) cells play a major role in the clearance of respiratory viruses, secretion of surfactant proteins and antimicrobial substances into the bronchoalveolar fluid as well as repair of lung injury. Gene expression in AT2 cells is regulated in a tissue and cell-specific manner and in a temporal fashion. The availability of tissue and cell-specific RNA datasets in Human Protein Atlas led to the identification of localized expression patterns of BCL-2 family members such as BCL2 related protein A1 (BCL2A1) in AT2 cells and immune cells of the lung. BCL2A1 expression was regulated by multiple stimuli including Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, interferons (IFNs), inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited by the steroid dexamethasone. In this study, regulation of BCL2A1 gene expression in human lung epithelial cells by several respiratory viruses and type I interferon signaling was investigated. SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly induced BCL2A1 expression in human lung epithelial cells within 24 hours that required the expression of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). BCL2A1 mRNA induction by SARS-CoV-2 was correlated with the induced expression of IFN-β and IFN-regulated transcription factor mRNA. BCL2A1 was induced by IFN-β treatment or by infection with influenza virus lacking the non-structural protein1(NS1) in NHBE cells. Furthermore, bioinformatics revealed that a subset of BCL-2 family members involved in the control of apoptosis and transcription such as BCL2A1, BCL2L14, BCL3, and BCL6 were regulated in the lung epithelial cells by coronaviruses and in the lung tissue samples of COVID-19 patients. Transcriptomic data also suggested that these genes were differentially regulated by the steroid drug dexamethasone.

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  1. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.07.21.453244: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Ethicsnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Supplementary data and gene expression datasets were also downloaded from the Journal publisher’s websites, Immgen browsers, and Signaling Pathway Project.
    Signaling Pathway Project
    suggested: None
    Protein-protein interactions were visualized in the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database (30)
    STRING
    suggested: (STRING, RRID:SCR_005223)
    Gene ontology (GO), signaling and transcription factor analysis was done in KEGG.
    KEGG
    suggested: (KEGG, RRID:SCR_012773)
    Metascape and TRANSFAC databases, respectively (31–33).
    Metascape
    suggested: (Metascape, RRID:SCR_016620)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No funding statement was detected.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  2. Version published to 10.1101/2021.07.21.453244 on bioRxiv