The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro causes microvascular brain pathology by cleaving NEMO in brain endothelial cells - Inserm - Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale Access content directly
Journal Articles Nature Neuroscience Year : 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro causes microvascular brain pathology by cleaving NEMO in brain endothelial cells

Manolis Pasparakis
Matija Zelic
  • Function : Author
Dimitry Ofengeim
  • Function : Author

Abstract

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can damage cerebral small vessels and cause neurological symptoms. Here we describe structural changes in cerebral small vessels of patients with COVID-19 and elucidate potential mechanisms underlying the vascular pathology. In brains of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected individuals and animal models, we found an increased number of empty basement membrane tubes, so-called string vessels representing remnants of lost capillaries. We obtained evidence that brain endothelial cells are infected and that the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (M pro ) cleaves NEMO, the essential modulator of nuclear factor-κB. By ablating NEMO, M pro induces the death of human brain endothelial cells and the occurrence of string vessels in mice. Deletion of receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 3, a mediator of regulated cell death, blocks the vessel rarefaction and disruption of the blood–brain barrier due to NEMO ablation. Importantly, a pharmacological inhibitor of RIPK signaling prevented the M pro -induced microvascular pathology. Our data suggest RIPK as a potential therapeutic target to treat the neuropathology of COVID-19.
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Dates and versions

inserm-03741941 , version 1 (02-08-2022)

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Jan Wenzel, Josephine Lampe, Helge Müller-Fielitz, Raphael Schuster, Marietta Zille, et al.. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro causes microvascular brain pathology by cleaving NEMO in brain endothelial cells. Nature Neuroscience, 2021, 24 (11), pp.1522-1533. ⟨10.1038/s41593-021-00926-1⟩. ⟨inserm-03741941⟩
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