A comparative review of pathogenesis and host innate immunity evasion strategies among the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

• Published in: Archives of microbiology Vol. 203; no. 5; pp. 1943 - 1951
• Main Author: Noor, Rashed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus - classification; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Betacoronavirus - physiology; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Cell culture; Chemokines; Coronaviridae; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cytokines; Cytokines - immunology; Disease control; Disease Progression; Disease transmission; Ecology; Epidemics; Humans; Immune Evasion; Immunity; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Innate immunity; Life Sciences; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Mini-Review; Molecular modelling; Pandemics; Pathogenesis; Public health; Receptors; Respiratory diseases; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Species Specificity; Spike protein; Viral diseases; Virus Internalization; Middle East; COVID-19 pandemic; Viral pathogenesis and host immunity; Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2); SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV
• ISSN: 0302-8933; 1432-072X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02265-y

COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has put the global public health at its highest threat around the world. Previous epidemic caused by the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002 is also considered since both the coronaviruses resulted in the similar clinical complications. The outbreak caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012 had a low rate of disease transmission and death cases. Modes of entry by MERS and SARS coronaviruses are similar to that of SARS-CoV-2, except MERS-CoV utilize different receptor. They all belong to the lineage C of β-coronavirus. Based on the information from the previous reports, the present review is mainly focused on the mechanisms of disease progression by each of these viruses in association to their strategies to escape the host immunity. The viral entry is the first step of pathogenesis associated with attachment of viral spike protein with host receptor help releasing the viral RNA into the host cell. Models of molecular pathogenesis are outlined with virus strategies escaping the host immunity along with the role of various inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the process. The molecular aspects of pathogenesis have also been discussed.