Analyzing master regulators and scRNA-seq of COVID-19 patients reveals an underlying anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanism of ZNF proteins. Issue 5 (27th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qin, Shijie; Xu, Weijun; Wang, Canbiao; Jiang, Sizhu; Dai, Wei; Yang, Yang; Shen, Jiawei; Jin, Ping; Ma, Fei; Xia, Xinyi
• Is Part Of: Briefings in bioinformatics. Volume 22:Issue 5(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-04-27
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 -- COVID-19 -- master regulator -- zinc finger protein -- gender difference; Genetics -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Genomes -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 572.80285
• DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab118
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1467-5463

Abstract

Abstract: Studies have demonstrated that both mortality and severe illness rates exist significant difference in different gender COVID-19 patients, but the reasons are still very mysterious to date. Here, we firstly find that the survival outcome of female patients is better to male patients through analyzing the 3044 COVID-19 cases. Secondly, we identify many important master regulators [e.g. STAT1/STAT2 and zinc finger (ZNF) proteins], in particular female patients can express more ZNF proteins and stronger transcriptional activities than male patients in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thirdly, we discover that ZNF protein activity is significantly negative correlation with the SARS-CoV-2 load of COVID-19 patients, and ZNF proteins as transcription factors can also activate their target genes to participate in anti-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fourthly, we demonstrate that ZNF protein activity is positive correlation with the abundance of multiple immune cells of COVID-19 patients, implying that the highly ZNF protein activity might promote the abundance and the antiviral activity of multiple immune cells to effectively suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection. Taken together, our study proposes an underlying anti-SARS-COV-2 role of ZNF proteins, and differences in the amount and activity of ZNF proteins might be responsible for the distinct prognosis of different gender COVID-19 patients.