Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Bioinformatic Analysis Reveals That the Reproductive System is Potentially at Risk from SARS-CoV-2

Version 1 : Received: 19 February 2020 / Approved: 21 February 2020 / Online: 21 February 2020 (08:09:25 CET)



How to cite: Zhang, J.; Wu, Y.; Wang, R.; Lu, K.; Tu, M.; Guo, H.; Xie, W.; Qin, Z.; Li, S.; Zhu, P.; Wang, X. Bioinformatic Analysis Reveals That the Reproductive System is Potentially at Risk from SARS-CoV-2. Preprints 2020, 2020020307 (doi: 10.20944/preprints202002.0307.v1). Zhang, J.; Wu, Y.; Wang, R.; Lu, K.; Tu, M.; Guo, H.; Xie, W.; Qin, Z.; Li, S.; Zhu, P.; Wang, X. Bioinformatic Analysis Reveals That the Reproductive System is Potentially at Risk from SARS-CoV-2. Preprints 2020, 2020020307 (doi: 10.20944/preprints202002.0307.v1). Copy

Cite as: Zhang, J.; Wu, Y.; Wang, R.; Lu, K.; Tu, M.; Guo, H.; Xie, W.; Qin, Z.; Li, S.; Zhu, P.; Wang, X. Bioinformatic Analysis Reveals That the Reproductive System is Potentially at Risk from SARS-CoV-2. Preprints 2020, 2020020307 (doi: 10.20944/preprints202002.0307.v1). Zhang, J.; Wu, Y.; Wang, R.; Lu, K.; Tu, M.; Guo, H.; Xie, W.; Qin, Z.; Li, S.; Zhu, P.; Wang, X. Bioinformatic Analysis Reveals That the Reproductive System is Potentially at Risk from SARS-CoV-2. Preprints 2020, 2020020307 (doi: 10.20944/preprints202002.0307.v1). Copy CANCEL COPY CITATION DETAILS

Abstract

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occurred in China towards the end of 2019, and has spread rapidly ever since. Previous studies showed that some virus could affect the reproductive system and cause long-term complications. Recent studies exploring the source of SARS-CoV-2 using genomic sequencing have revealed that SARS-CoV-2 enters the host cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2), the receptor that recognizes SARS-CoV. To investigate the expression of ACE2 and to explore the potential risk of infection in the reproductive system, we performed a thorough bioinformatic analysis on data from public databases involving RNA expression, protein expression, and single-cell RNA expression studies. The analyzed data showed high levels of ACE2 mRNA and protein expression in the testis and spermatids and equal levels of ACE2 expression in the uterus and lung. Comprehensive single-cell analysis identified ACE2 expression in the lung, testis, spermatids, and uterus. In conclusion, this study revealed the potential risk associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the reproductive system and predicted that long-term complications might have a significant impact on the prevention and management of COVID-19, the disease caused upon infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Subject Areas

SARS-CoV-2; ACE2; reproductive system; single-cell RNA-seq

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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