SARS-CoV-2 suppresses mRNA expression of selenoproteins associated with ferroptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress and DNA synthesis

bioRxiv, July 2020

Yijun Wang, Jinbao Huang, Yong Sun, Jun He, Weiwei Li, Zhirong Liu, Ethan Will Taylor, Margaret P Rayman, Xiaochun Wan, Jinsong Zhang

A significant, positive association between selenium status and prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been identified among COVID-19 patients in China. Moreover, a German study revealed a pronounced deficit of serum selenium and SELENOP concentrations in COVID-19 patients, and selenium deficiency was associated with mortality risk from COVID-19. The present study investigated the influence of SARS-CoV-2 on gene expression of host selenoproteins which mediate many beneficial actions of selenium. We found that SARS-CoV-2 suppressed mRNA expression of selenoproteins associated with ferroptosis (GPX4), endoplasmic reticulum stress (SELENOF, SELENOK, SELENOM and SELENOS) and DNA synthesis (TXNRD3), while SARS-CoV-2 increased gene expression of IL-6 (an inflammatory cytokine positively correlated with severity of COVID-19), in Vero cells. These results provide a deeper insight into the connection between selenium and SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.