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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.03.31.437823

Linking Diabetes mellitus to SARS-CoV-2 infection through differential targeting of the microRNAs in the Pancreas tissue

Bhavya,·Pathak, E.·Mishra, R.
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Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and Diabetes mellitus affect each other bidirectionally. The plus-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be targeted and suppressed by the host cells microRNAs (miRNAs). Using the differential gene expression analysis between the mock-infected and the SARS-CoV-2-infected pancreatic tissue, we report five Diabetes-associated genes that are upregulated due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the hESC pancreas tissues. Ten miRNAs regulating these five genes can potentially target the SARS-CoV-2 genome. We hypothesize that the SARS-CoV-2 genome copies in the infected human pancreas cell compete with the host cells native genes in being regulated by the native miRNAs. It leads to the reduced miRNA-regulation and, thus, the upregulation of the Diabetes-associated native genes. Thus, the resultant new-onset or elevated Diabetic symptoms may worsen the condition of COVID-19 patients.

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Bhavya,, Pathak, E., Mishra, R.. 2021-03-31. Linking Diabetes mellitus to SARS-CoV-2 infection through differential targeting of the microRNAs in the Pancreas tissue. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.31.437823

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