Transcriptome analysis of cepharanthine against a SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus. Issue 2 (11th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Shasha; Liu, Wenli; Chen, Yangzhen; Wang, Liqin; An, Wenlin; An, Xiaoping; Song, Lihua; Tong, Yigang; Fan, Huahao; Lu, Chenyang
• Is Part Of: Briefings in bioinformatics. Volume 22:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 1378
• Page End: 1386
• Publication Date: 2021-01-11
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 -- COVID-19 -- GX_P2V -- cellular stress -- cepharanthine -- transcriptome; Genetics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Genomes -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 572.80285
• DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa387
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1467-5463

Abstract

Abstract: Antiviral therapies targeting the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are urgently required. We studied an already-approved botanical drug cepharanthine (CEP) in a cell culture model of GX_P2V, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related virus. RNA-sequencing results showed the virus perturbed the expression of multiple genes including those associated with cellular stress responses such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-mediated heat shock response, of which heat shock response-related genes and pathways were at the core. CEP was potent to reverse most dysregulated genes and pathways in infected cells including ER stress/unfolded protein response and HSF1-mediated heat shock response. Additionally, single-cell transcriptomes also confirmed that genes of cellular stress responses and autophagy pathways were enriched in several peripheral blood mononuclear cells populations from COVID-19 patients. In summary, this study uncovered the transcriptome of a SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus infection model and anti-viral activities of CEP, providing evidence for CEP as a promising therapeutic option for SARS-CoV-2 infection.