Lung expression of genes putatively involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection is modulated in cis by germline variants

Germline variants in genes involved in SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and in host innate immune responses to viruses may influence the susceptibility to infection. This study used whole-genome analyses of lung tissue to identify polymorphisms acting as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for 60 genes of relevance to SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility. The expression of genes with confirmed or possible roles in viral entry-replication and in host antiviral responses was studied in the non-diseased lung tissue of 408 lung adenocarcinoma patients. No gene was differently expressed by sex, but APOBEC3H levels were higher and PARP12 levels lower in older individuals. A total of 125 cis-eQTLs (false discovery rate < 0.05) was found to modulate mRNA expression of 15 genes (ABO, ANPEP, AP2A2, APOBEC3D, APOBEC3G, BSG, CLEC4G, DDX58, DPP4, FURIN, FYCO1, RAB14, SERINC3, TRIM5, ZCRB1). eQTLs regulating ABO and FYCO1 were found in COVID-19 susceptibility loci. No trans-eQTLs were identified. Genetic control of the expression of these 15 genes, which encode putative virus receptors, proteins required for vesicle trafficking, enzymes that interfere with viral replication, and other restriction factors, may underlie interindividual differences in risk or severity of infection with SARS-CoV-2 or other viruses.