Efficient Activation of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Spike Protein by the Transmembrane Protease TMPRSS2

The distribution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) receptor, an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), does not strictly correlate with SARS-CoV cell tropism in lungs; therefore, other cellular factors have been predicted to be required for activation of virus infection. In the present study, we identified transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), whose expression does correlate with SARS-CoV infection in the upper lobe of the lung. In Vero cells expressing TMPRSS2, large syncytia were induced by SARS-CoV infection. Further, the lysosome-tropic reagents failed to inhibit, whereas the heptad repeat peptide efficiently inhibited viral entry into cells, suggesting that TMPRSS2…

• UM
  Uehara Memorial Foundation
• MO
  Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
• IK
  Ichiro Kanehara Foundation for the Promotion of Medical Sciences and Medical Care