Journal: Frontiers in Immunology
Article Title: SARS-CoV-2 evolution enhances endocytic uptake while preserving TMPRSS2-dependent fusion
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1736891
Figure Lengend Snippet: Susceptibility of the nine different SARS-CoV-2 strains to inhibitors of TMPRSS2-mediated fusion and cathepsin-mediated endocytosis. SARS-CoV-2 European wild-type (B.1.1), variant-of-concern (VOC) Alpha (B1.1.7 Q27*K68*, B.1.1.7 Q27*), Delta (AY.33), and Omicron (BA.1.17.2, BA.1.1, BA.2.9, BE.1.1, BA.5.1) were propagated in four human cell lines (Calu-3, Caco-2, A549 hACE2+/TMPRSS2+ , HEK293T) in the presence of increasing concentrations (0.024-100 µM) of camostat, an inhibitor of TMPRSS2-mediated viral direct fusion with cellular membrane (green curve), aloxistatin, an inhibitor of cathepsin-mediated viral endocytic uptake (pink curve), and a 1:1 mixture of both inhibitors (black curve). Viral load was determined in cell culture supernatants 48h p.i. using RT-qPCR and are presented as log 10 RNA copies/ml. Controls included cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the absence of inhibitors (“virus control”, VC), and cells fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (“background control”, BG), shown as dashed horizontal lines. Data show mean and standard error of three independent experiments.
Article Snippet: SARS-CoV-2 strains were propagated in human Calu-3, Caco-2 (CLS Cell Lines Service, Eppelheim, Germany), A549 hACE2+/TMPRSS2+ (InvivoGen, San Diego, US), and HEK293T cell lines using DMEM (Gibco, Waltham, MA) supplemented with 1% streptomycin/penicillin and 10% fetal calf serum (Pan Biotech, Aidenbach, Germany).
Techniques: Variant Assay, Membrane, Cell Culture, Quantitative RT-PCR, Infection, Virus, Control