miRNA,调节基因表达的小的非编码RNA,参与各种病理过程,包括病毒感染.病毒感染可能通过抑制参与miRNA生物发生的基因来干扰miRNA途径。我们最近观察到严重COVID-19患者鼻咽拭子中表达的miRNA数量和水平减少,指出miRNA可能是预测严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒-2(SARS-CoV-2)感染患者结局的诊断或预后生物标志物。本研究的目的是研究SARS-CoV-2感染是否会影响与miRNA生物发生有关的关键基因的信使RNA(mRNAs)的表达水平。AGO2、DICER1、DGCR8、DROSHA、通过定量逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-qPCR)在COVID-19患者和对照组的鼻咽拭子标本中测量了Exportin-5(XPO5),以及体外感染SARS-CoV-2的细胞。我们的数据显示,AGO2、DICER1、DGCR8、DROSHA、与非重度COVID-19患者和对照组相比,重度COVID-19患者和XPO5没有显着差异。同样,这些基因的mRNA表达不受NHBE和Calu-3细胞中SARS-CoV-2感染的影响。然而,在VeroE6细胞中,感染SARS-CoV-2后24小时,AGO2,DICER1,DGCR8和XPO5mRNA水平略有上调。总之,我们没有发现SARS-CoV-2感染期间miRNA生物发生基因mRNA水平下调的证据,既不是离体也不是体外。
miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, are involved in various pathological processes, including viral infections. Virus infections may interfere with the miRNA pathway through the inhibition of genes involved in miRNA biogenesis. A reduction in the number and the levels of miRNAs expressed in nasopharyngeal swabs of patients with severe COVID-19 was lately observed by us, pointing towards the potential of miRNAs as possible diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for predicting outcomes among patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 infection influences the expression levels of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of key genes involved in miRNA biogenesis. mRNA levels of AGO2, DICER1,
DGCR8, DROSHA, and Exportin-5 (XPO5) were measured by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in nasopharyngeal swab specimens from patients with COVID-19 and controls, as well as in cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Our data showed that the mRNA expression levels of AGO2, DICER1,
DGCR8, DROSHA, and XPO5 were not significantly different in patients with severe COVID-19 when compared to patients with non-severe COVID-19 and controls. Similarly, the mRNA expression of these genes was not affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection in NHBE and Calu-3 cells. However, in Vero E6 cells, AGO2, DICER1,
DGCR8, and XPO5 mRNA levels were slightly upregulated 24 h after infection with SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, we did not find evidence for downregulation of mRNA levels of miRNA biogenesis genes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, neither ex vivo nor in vitro.