SARS-CoV-2 interaction with Siglec-1 mediates trans-infection by dendritic cells

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) may be resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection but still contribute to viral pathogenesis. Lectins such as sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin 1 (Siglec-1/CD169) mediate the attachment of viruses to APCs. Here, we show that APCs effectively capture SARS-CoV-2 within compartments via recognition of Siglec-1. This receptor interacts with sialylated gangliosides on membranes of SARS-CoV-2 variants, as previously shown for retroviruses or filoviruses [ 1 ]. Blockage of Siglec-1 on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) decreased SARS-CoV-2 viral transfer or trans -infection to bystander target cells. However, monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) capturing SARS-CoV-2 via Siglec-1 did not transmit infectious particles. The presence of pulmonary APCs co-expressing Siglec-1 and SARS-CoV-2 corroborated these findings in vivo.