Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 using Immuno RNA-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Published on: December 23, 2020
Genetic Variations in the Human Angiotensin-ConvertingEnzyme 2 and Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease-19
Taravat Talebi1, Tannaz Masoumi1, Katayoun Heshmatzad1
1Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Health and economies are both affected by the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a polymorphic enzyme that is a part of the renin-angiotensin system, and it plays a crucial role in viral entry. Previous investigations and studies revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and ACE2 have a considerable association. Recently, ACE2 variants have been described in human populations in association with cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions. In this study, genetic susceptibility to COVID-19 in different populations was investigated.
Methods And Results:
We evaluated the identified variants based on the predictive performance of 5 deleteriousness-scoring methods and the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. The results indicated 299 variants within the ACE2 gene. The variants were analyzed by different in-silico analysis tools to assess their functional effects. Ultimately, 5 more deleterious variants were found in the ACE2 gene.
Conclusions:
Collecting more information about the variations in binding affinity between SARS-CoV-2 and host-cell receptors due to ACE2 variants leads to progress in treatment strategies for COVID-19. The evidence accumulated in this study showed that ACE2 variants in different populations may be associated with the genetic susceptibility, symptoms, and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Related Concept Videos
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
Genetic Variation
Genes exist in different versions called alleles,...
Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs
Copy number variations or CNVs are the structural variations that cover more than 1kb of DNA sequence. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), on the other hand, is a single nucleotide change or a point mutation that is found in more than 1%...
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Viral Mutations
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...

