Key result
SARS-CoV-2 fails to globally upregulate transposable elements unlike other viruses, correlating with weak interferon response.
Why the study?
Transposable elements are induced in response to viral infections and suggested to trigger a robust interferon response, but their expression changes in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection were unknown.
Population
Different human cellular models
Comparison
SARS-CoV-2 infection vs pre-infected cells or other viruses
Design
Preclinical in vitro laboratory study
Authors
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SARS-CoV-2 spares global TE upregulation in primary cells unlike other viruses; hypothesis-generating for differential interferon responses requiring in vivo validation.
SARS-CoV-2 fails to globally upregulate transposable elements, potentially explaining the weak interferon response and suggesting TEs as potential drug targets for COVID-19.
Sorek et al. (2022) studied SARS-CoV-2 infection (in vitro models). SARS-CoV-2 infection vs. Mock infection or IAV infection was evaluated on Transposable element (TE) expression changes and interferon (IFN) response. Unlike other viruses, SARS-CoV-2 infection does not lead to global upregulation of transposable elements in primary cells, which correlates with a weak interferon response.
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