1. Genetics and Genomics
  2. Medicine

Does the human placenta express the canonical cell entry mediators for SARS-CoV-2?

  1. Roger Pique-Regi  Is a corresponding author
  2. Roberto Romero  Is a corresponding author
  3. Adi L Tarca
  4. Francesca Luca
  5. Yi Xu
  6. Adnan Alazizi
  7. Yaozhu Leng
  8. Chaur-Dong Hsu
  9. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez  Is a corresponding author
  1. Wayne State University, United States
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.58716
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  1. Roger Pique-Regi
  2. Roberto Romero
  3. Adi L Tarca
  4. Francesca Luca
  5. Yi Xu
  6. Adnan Alazizi
  7. Yaozhu Leng
  8. Chaur-Dong Hsu
  9. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
(2020)
Does the human placenta express the canonical cell entry mediators for SARS-CoV-2?
eLife 9:e58716.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.58716
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Abstract

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected more than 10 million people, including pregnant women. To date, no consistent evidence for the vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 exists. The novel coronavirus canonically utilizes the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and the serine protease TMPRSS2 for cell entry. Herein, building upon our previous single-cell study (Pique-Regi, 2019), another study, and new single-cell/nuclei RNA-sequencing data, we investigated the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 throughout pregnancy in the placenta as well as in third-trimester chorioamniotic membranes. We report that co-transcription of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 is negligible in the placenta, thus not a likely path of vertical transmission for SARS-CoV-2. By contrast, receptors for Zika virus and cytomegalovirus, which cause congenital infections, are highly expressed by placental cell types. These data show that the placenta minimally expresses the canonical cell-entry mediators for SARS-CoV-2.

Data availability

Placenta and decidua scRNA-seq data from first-trimester samples were downloaded through ArrayExpress (E-MTAB-6701). Data for third-trimester samples previously collected by our group are available through NIH dbGAP (accession number phs001886.v1.p1), and newly generated second-trimester scRNA-seq and third-trimester snRNA-seq data are being deposited in the same repository.

The following data sets were generated
The following previously published data sets were used

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Roger Pique-Regi

    Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    For correspondence
    rpique@wayne.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-1262-2275

  2. Roberto Romero

    Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    For correspondence
    prbchiefstaff@med.wayne.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-4448-5121

  3. Adi L Tarca

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-1712-7588

  4. Francesca Luca

    Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0001-8252-9052

  5. Yi Xu

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  6. Adnan Alazizi

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  7. Yaozhu Leng

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  8. Chaur-Dong Hsu

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  9. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
    For correspondence
    ngomezlo@med.wayne.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-3406-5262

Funding

National Institutes of Health (HHSN275201300006C)

  • Roberto Romero

Wayne State University (Perinatal Initiative)

  • Adi L Tarca
  • Nardhy Gomez-Lopez

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Ethics

Human subjects: The collection and use of human materials for research purposes were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Wayne State University School of Medicine [IRB# 110605MP2F(RCR), IRB# 082403MP2F(5R), and IRB# 031318MP2F]. All participating women provided written informed consent prior to sample collection.

Copyright

This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

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  1. Roger Pique-Regi
  2. Roberto Romero
  3. Adi L Tarca
  4. Francesca Luca
  5. Yi Xu
  6. Adnan Alazizi
  7. Yaozhu Leng
  8. Chaur-Dong Hsu
  9. Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
(2020)
Does the human placenta express the canonical cell entry mediators for SARS-CoV-2?
eLife 9:e58716.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.58716

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.58716

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Further reading

    1. Genetics and Genomics

    Single cell transcriptional signatures of the human placenta in term and preterm parturition

    Roger Pique-Regi, Roberto Romero ... Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
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    More than 135 million births occur each year; yet, the molecular underpinnings of human parturition in gestational tissues, and in particular the placenta, are still poorly understood. The placenta is a complex heterogeneous organ including cells of both maternal and fetal origin, and insults that disrupt the maternal-fetal dialogue could result in adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth. There is limited knowledge of the cell type composition and transcriptional activity of the placenta and its compartments during physiologic and pathologic parturition. To fill this knowledge gap, we used scRNA-seq to profile the placental villous tree, basal plate, and chorioamniotic membranes of women with or without labor at term and those with preterm labor. Significant differences in cell type composition and transcriptional profiles were found among placental compartments and across study groups. For the first time, two cell types were identified: 1) lymphatic endothelial decidual cells in the chorioamniotic membranes, and 2) non-proliferative interstitial cytotrophoblasts in the placental villi. Maternal macrophages from the chorioamniotic membranes displayed the largest differences in gene expression (e.g. NFKB1) in both processes of labor; yet, specific gene expression changes were also detected in preterm labor. Importantly, several placental scRNA-seq transcriptional signatures were modulated with advancing gestation in the maternal circulation, and specific immune cell type signatures were increased with labor at term (NK-cell and activated T-cell signatures) and with preterm labor (macrophage, monocyte, and activated T-cell signatures). Herein, we provide a catalogue of cell types and transcriptional profiles in the human placenta, shedding light on the molecular underpinnings and non-invasive prediction of the physiologic and pathologic parturition.

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    Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. While traditionally viewed as a motor neuron disorder, there is involvement of various peripheral organs in SMA. Notably, fatty liver has been observed in SMA mouse models and SMA patients. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether intrinsic depletion of SMN protein in the liver contributes to pathology in the peripheral or central nervous systems. To address this, we developed a mouse model with a liver-specific depletion of SMN by utilizing an Alb-Cre transgene together with one Smn2B allele and one Smn1 exon 7 allele flanked by loxP sites. Initially, we evaluated phenotypic changes in these mice at postnatal day 19 (P19), when the severe model of SMA, the Smn2B/- mice, exhibit many symptoms of the disease. The liver-specific SMN depletion does not induce motor neuron death, neuromuscular pathology or muscle atrophy, characteristics typically observed in the Smn2B/- mouse at P19. However, mild liver steatosis was observed, although no changes in liver function were detected. Notably, pancreatic alterations resembled that of Smn2B/-mice, with a decrease in insulin-producing β-cells and an increase in glucagon-producingα-cells, accompanied by a reduction in blood glucose and an increase in plasma glucagon and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1). These changes were transient, as mice at P60 exhibited recovery of liver and pancreatic function. While the mosaic pattern of the Cre-mediated excision precludes definitive conclusions regarding the contribution of liver-specific SMN depletion to overall tissue pathology, our findings highlight an intricate connection between liver function and pancreatic abnormalities in SMA.