Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Montano, Mauricio
• Victor, Andrea R
• Griffin, Darren K
• Duong, Tommy
• Bolduc, Nathalie
• Farmer, Andrew
• Garg, Vidur
• Hadjantonakis, Anna-Katerina
• Coates, Alison
• Barnes, Frank L
• Zouves, Christo G
• Greene, Warner C
• Viotti, Manuel

Titel

SARS-CoV-2 can infect human embryos

Ist Teil von

• Scientific reports, 2022-09, Vol.12 (1), p.15451-15451, Article 15451

Ort / Verlag

London: Nature Publishing Group

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Free E-Journal (出版社公開部分のみ）

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Abstract The spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a devastating pandemic, with infections resulting in a range of symptoms collectively known as COVID-19. The full repertoire of human tissues and organs susceptible to infection is an area of active investigation, and some studies have implicated the reproductive system. The effects of COVID-19 on human reproduction remain poorly understood, and particularly the impact on early embryogenesis and establishment of a pregnancy are not known. In this work, we explore the susceptibility of early human embryos to SARS-CoV-2 infection. By using RNA-seq and immunofluorescence, we note that ACE2 and TMPRSS2, two canonical cell entry factors for SARS-CoV-2, are co-expressed in cells of the trophectoderm in blastocyst-stage preimplantation embryos. For the purpose of viral entry studies, we used fluorescent reporter virions pseudotyped with Spike (S) glycoprotein from SARS-CoV-2, and we observe robust infection of trophectoderm cells. This permissiveness could be attenuated with blocking antibodies targeting S or ACE2. When exposing human blastocysts to the live, fully infectious SARS-CoV-2, we detected cases of infection that compromised embryo health. Therefore, we identify a new human target tissue for SARS-CoV-2 with potential medical implications for reproductive health during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.