Skinner, K. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2021

Human basigin (CD147) does not directly interact with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein

Basigin, or CD147, has been reported as a co-receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to invade host cells. Basigin also has a well-established role in Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection of human erythrocytes where it is bound by one of the parasites invasion ligands, reticulocyte binding protein homolog 5 (RH5). Here, we sought to validate the claim that the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein can form a complex with basigin, using RH5-basigin as a positive control. Using recombinantly expressed proteins, size exclusion chromatography and surface plasmon resonance, we show that neither RBD nor full-length spike glycoprotein bind to recombinant human basigin (either expressed in E. coli or mammalian cells). Given the immense interest in SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic targets, we would caution the inclusion of basigin in this list on the basis of its reported direct interaction with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. ImportanceReducing the mortality and morbidity associated with COVID-19 remains a global health priority. Critical to these efforts is the identification of host factors that are essential to viral entry and replication. Basigin, or CD147, was previously identified as a possible therapeutic target based on the observation that it may act as a co-receptor for SARS-COV-2, binding to the receptor binding domain of the spike protein. Here, we show that there is no direct interaction between the RBD and basigin, casting doubt on its role as a co-receptor and plausibility as a therapeutic target.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2020

Wetland plant evolutionary history influences soil and endophyte microbial community composition

Methane is a microbially derived greenhouse gas whose emissions are highly variable throughout wetland ecosystems. Differences in plant community composition account for some of this variability, suggesting an influence of plant species on microbial community structure and function in these ecosystems. Given that closely related plant species have similar morphological and biochemical features, we hypothesize that plant evolutionary history is related to differences in microbial community composition. To examine species-specific patterns in microbiomes, we selected five monoculture-forming wetland plant species based on the evolutionary distances among them. We detected significant differences in microbial communities between sample types (unvegetated soil, bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, internal root tissues, and internal leaf tissues) associated with these plant species based on 16S relative abundances. We additionally found that differences in plant evolutionary history were correlated with variation in microbial communities across plant species within each sample type. Using qPCR, we observed substantial differences in overall methanogen and methanotroph population sizes between plant species and sample types. Methanogens tended to be most abundant in rhizosphere soils while methanotrophs were the most abundant in roots. Given that microbes influence methane flux and that plants affect methanogen and methanotroph populations, plant species contribute to variable degrees of methane emissions. Incorporating the influence of plant evolutionary history into future modeling efforts may improve predictions of wetland methane emission since microbial community differences correlate with differences in plant evolutionary history.

ecology↗