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Ziegler CGK, Miao VN, Owings AH, Navia AW, Tang Y, Bromley JD, Lotfy P, Sloan M, Laird H, Williams HB, George M, Drake RS, Christian T, Parker A, Sindel CB, Burger MW, Pride Y, Hasan M, Abraham GE, Senitko M, Robinson TO, Shalek AK, Glover SC, Horwitz BH, Ordovas-Montanes J. Impaired local intrinsic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection in severe COVID-19. Cell 2021; 184:4713-4733.e22. [PMID: 34352228 PMCID: PMC8299217 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause severe respiratory COVID-19. However, many individuals present with isolated upper respiratory symptoms, suggesting potential to constrain viral pathology to the nasopharynx. Which cells SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets and how infection influences the respiratory epithelium remains incompletely understood. We performed scRNA-seq on nasopharyngeal swabs from 58 healthy and COVID-19 participants. During COVID-19, we observe expansion of secretory, loss of ciliated, and epithelial cell repopulation via deuterosomal cell expansion. In mild and moderate COVID-19, epithelial cells express anti-viral/interferon-responsive genes, while cells in severe COVID-19 have muted anti-viral responses despite equivalent viral loads. SARS-CoV-2 RNA+ host-target cells are highly heterogenous, including developing ciliated, interferon-responsive ciliated, AZGP1high goblet, and KRT13+ "hillock"-like cells, and we identify genes associated with susceptibility, resistance, or infection response. Our study defines protective and detrimental responses to SARS-CoV-2, the direct viral targets of infection, and suggests that failed nasal epithelial anti-viral immunity may underlie and precede severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly G K Ziegler
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Vincent N Miao
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Anna H Owings
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Andrew W Navia
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ying Tang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joshua D Bromley
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peter Lotfy
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Meredith Sloan
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Hannah Laird
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Haley B Williams
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Micayla George
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Riley S Drake
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Taylor Christian
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Adam Parker
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Campbell B Sindel
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Molly W Burger
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Yilianys Pride
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Mohammad Hasan
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - George E Abraham
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Michal Senitko
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Tanya O Robinson
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Alex K Shalek
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Sarah C Glover
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
| | - Bruce H Horwitz
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Jose Ordovas-Montanes
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Ziegler CGK, Miao VN, Owings AH, Navia AW, Tang Y, Bromley JD, Lotfy P, Sloan M, Laird H, Williams HB, George M, Drake RS, Christian T, Parker A, Sindel CB, Burger MW, Pride Y, Hasan M, Abraham GE, Senitko M, Robinson TO, Shalek AK, Glover SC, Horwitz BH, Ordovas-Montanes J. Impaired local intrinsic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection in severe COVID-19. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.02.20.431155. [PMID: 33619488 PMCID: PMC7899452 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.20.431155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can lead to severe lower respiratory illness including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which can result in profound morbidity and mortality. However, many infected individuals are either asymptomatic or have isolated upper respiratory symptoms, which suggests that the upper airways represent the initial site of viral infection, and that some individuals are able to largely constrain viral pathology to the nasal and oropharyngeal tissues. Which cell types in the human nasopharynx are the primary targets of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and how infection influences the cellular organization of the respiratory epithelium remains incompletely understood. Here, we present nasopharyngeal samples from a cohort of 35 individuals with COVID-19, representing a wide spectrum of disease states from ambulatory to critically ill, as well as 23 healthy and intubated patients without COVID-19. Using standard nasopharyngeal swabs, we collected viable cells and performed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), simultaneously profiling both host and viral RNA. We find that following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the upper respiratory epithelium undergoes massive reorganization: secretory cells diversify and expand, and mature epithelial cells are preferentially lost. Further, we observe evidence for deuterosomal cell and immature ciliated cell expansion, potentially representing active repopulation of lost ciliated cells through coupled secretory cell differentiation. Epithelial cells from participants with mild/moderate COVID-19 show extensive induction of genes associated with anti-viral and type I interferon responses. In contrast, cells from participants with severe lower respiratory symptoms appear globally muted in their anti-viral capacity, despite substantially higher local inflammatory myeloid populations and equivalent nasal viral loads. This suggests an essential role for intrinsic, local epithelial immunity in curbing and constraining viral-induced pathology. Using a custom computational pipeline, we characterized cell-associated SARS-CoV-2 RNA and identified rare cells with RNA intermediates strongly suggestive of active replication. Both within and across individuals, we find remarkable diversity and heterogeneity among SARS-CoV-2 RNA+ host cells, including developing/immature and interferon-responsive ciliated cells, KRT13+ "hillock"-like cells, and unique subsets of secretory, goblet, and squamous cells. Finally, SARS-CoV-2 RNA+ cells, as compared to uninfected bystanders, are enriched for genes involved in susceptibility (e.g., CTSL, TMPRSS2) or response (e.g., MX1, IFITM3, EIF2AK2) to infection. Together, this work defines both protective and detrimental host responses to SARS-CoV-2, determines the direct viral targets of infection, and suggests that failed anti-viral epithelial immunity in the nasal mucosa may underlie the progression to severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly G. K. Ziegler
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Vincent N. Miao
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Anna H. Owings
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Andrew W. Navia
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ying Tang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joshua D. Bromley
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peter Lotfy
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Meredith Sloan
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Hannah Laird
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Haley B. Williams
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Micayla George
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Riley S. Drake
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Taylor Christian
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Adam Parker
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Campbell B. Sindel
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Molly W. Burger
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Yilianys Pride
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Mohammad Hasan
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - George E. Abraham
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Michal Senitko
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Tanya O. Robinson
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Alex K. Shalek
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sarah C. Glover
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Bruce H. Horwitz
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jose Ordovas-Montanes
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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