CD209L/L-SIGN and CD209/DC-SIGN Act as Receptors for SARS-CoV-2
Razie Amraei, Wenqing Yin, Marc A. Napoleon, Ellen L. Suder, Jacob Berrigan, Qing Zhao, Judith Olejnik, Kevin Brown Chandler, Chaoshuang Xia, Jared Feldman, Blake M. Hauser, Timothy M. Caradonna, Aaron G. Schmidt, Suryaram Gummuluru, Elke Mühlberger, Vipul C. Chitalia, Catherine E. Costello, Nader Rahimi
Abstract
-glycosylation at this site enhances the binding of S-RBD with CD209L. CD209L also interacts with ACE2, suggesting a role for heterodimerization of CD209L and ACE2 in SARS-CoV-2 entry and infection in cell types where both are present. Furthermore, we demonstrate that human endothelial cells are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and interference with CD209L activity by a knockdown strategy or with soluble CD209L inhibits virus entry. Our observations demonstrate that CD209L and CD209 serve as alternative receptors for SARS-CoV-2 in disease-relevant cell types, including the vascular system. This property is particularly important in tissues where ACE2 has low expression or is absent and may have implications for antiviral drug development.