Morphogenesis and cytopathic effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human airway epithelial cells

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 3910 - 8
• Main Authors: Zhu, Na, Wang, Wenling, Liu, Zhidong, Liang, Chaoyang, Wang, Wen, Ye, Fei, Huang, Baoying, Zhao, Li, Wang, Huijuan, Zhou, Weimin, Deng, Yao, Mao, Longfei, Su, Chongyu, Qiang, Guangliang, Jiang, Taijiao, Zhao, Jincun, Wu, Guizhen, Song, Jingdong, Tan, Wenjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 06.08.2020; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 101/28; 13; 13/1; 13/106; 13/107; 13/2; 14; 14/19; 14/34; 631/326/596/4130; 64; 692/699/255/2514; Apoptosis; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Betacoronavirus - physiology; Cell fusion; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Coronaviridae; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; Electrical resistivity; Epithelial cells; Epithelial Cells - pathology; Epithelial Cells - virology; Epithelium; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Morphogenesis; Morphogenesis - physiology; multidisciplinary; Pandemics; Pathogenesis; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Replication; Respiratory System - pathology; Respiratory System - virology; Respiratory tract; SARS-CoV-2; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Tropism; Viral diseases; Virus Replication
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17796-z

SARS-CoV-2, a β-coronavirus, has rapidly spread across the world, highlighting its high transmissibility, but the underlying morphogenesis and pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize the replication dynamics, cell tropism and morphogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in organotypic human airway epithelial (HAE) cultures. SARS-CoV-2 replicates efficiently and infects both ciliated and secretory cells in HAE cultures. In comparison, HCoV-NL63 replicates to lower titers and is only detected in ciliated cells. SARS-CoV-2 shows a similar morphogenetic process as other coronaviruses but causes plaque-like cytopathic effects in HAE cultures. Cell fusion, apoptosis, destruction of epithelium integrity, cilium shrinking and beaded changes are observed in the plaque regions. Taken together, our results provide important insights into SARS-CoV-2 cell tropism, replication and morphogenesis. Here, the authors characterize replication of SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial (HAE) cultures and show that it can infect ciliated and secretory cells, affects transepithelial electrical resistance and causes plaque-like cytopathic effects associated with apoptosis.