Effect of lentivirus pseudotyped by SARS-CoV2 S-protein on 3D skin equivalents transcriptome

We and others showed that skin cells including keratinocytes express significant amounts of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. To uncover the potential role of skin in SARS-CoV-2 infection we infected 3D skin equivalents (HSE) made from human keratinocytes growing on collagen matrix infused with fibroblasts with lentiviral reporter pseudotyped by SARS-CoV-2 S-protein and expressing Tomato fluorescent protein.

Tomato expression analysis by Q-PCR and immunofluorescence indicated that HSE were successfully infected. Here we analyzed the effect of binding of viral S-protein to ACE2 in control and inflamed by the cytokines (IL1b, IL6, TNFa and IFNg) 3D HSE on keratinocyte transcriptome.