Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences (ICB), Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Cell Biochem Funct. 2021 Aug;39(6):713-726. doi: 10.1002/cbf.3648. Epub 2021 Jun 1.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a pandemic that is claiming hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is a key player in COVID-19 due to its pivotal role in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This enzyme is expressed throughout the body and the studies conducted so far have shown that its expression varies according to several factors, including cell type, sex, age, disease states and probably SARS-CoV-2 infection. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications and microRNAs, impact ACE2 expression and may explain structural variation. The understanding of how genetic variants and epigenetic markers act to control ACE2 expression in health and disease states may contribute to comprehend several aspects of COVID-19 that are puzzling researchers and clinicians. This review collects and appraises the literature regarding some aspects in the ACE2 biology, the expression patterns of this molecule, SNPs of the ACE2 gene and epigenetic mechanisms that may impact ACE2 expression in the context of COVID-19.
新型冠状病毒病（COVID-19）是由严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）引起的一种全球性大流行病，它正在夺走世界各地数以十万计的生命。血管紧张素转换酶 2（ACE2）在 COVID-19 中是一个关键因素，因为它在 SARS-CoV-2 感染中起着关键作用。这种酶在全身表达，到目前为止的研究表明，其表达根据几个因素而有所不同，包括细胞类型、性别、年龄、疾病状态和可能的 SARS-CoV-2 感染。单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）和表观遗传机制，包括 DNA 甲基化、组蛋白翻译后修饰和 microRNAs，影响 ACE2 的表达，并可能解释结构变异。了解遗传变异和表观遗传标记如何在健康和疾病状态下控制 ACE2 的表达，可能有助于理解 COVID-19 中令研究人员和临床医生感到困惑的几个方面。这篇综述收集和评估了 ACE2 生物学、该分子的表达模式、ACE2 基因的 SNPs 以及可能影响 COVID-19 中 ACE2 表达的表观遗传机制方面的文献。
