Expression Levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in Different Cell Lines

Authors : Merve Gülsen BAL ALBAYRAK, Sevinc YANAR, Murat KASAP, Gürler AKPINAR

Pages : 260-268

View : 27 | Download : 29

Publication Date : 2023-06-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objective: ACE2 and TMPRSS2 proteins have received increased attention gained emphasis together with the pandemic COVID-19. These proteins have roles in respiratory and hypertension disorders as well as cardiovascular and renal diseases. The objective of this work was to examine the mRNA and protein levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in cell lines derived from various tissue origins. Methods: After the growth of 14 different cell lines, protein and mRNA were isolated from the cell pellets. The amounts of mRNAs and proteins were then determined and quantified using RT-PCR and ELISA. Results: Findings showed that VERO, HEK293T, and VERO E6 cell lines significantly differed from others in the mRNA levels of both the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genes. In protein levels obtained using ELISA, PNT1A cell line had the highest level of ACE2 protein expression, while for TMPRSS2, A549 had the highest level of protein expression. Conclusion: It was showed in this study how the expressions of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 depend on the cell type. This may be an explanation for why virulence entrance differs in different types of tissues. It is thought that HEK293T cells with high levels of both genes may be a suitable option for studies at the RNA level by using these two genes. MCF7 may be a good option for studies at the protein level. Given the high levels of mRNA expression of both genes, it may be inferred that cells derived from the kidney were among those that were most susceptible to virus entry.
Keywords : ACE2, TMPRSS2, COVID19