Unique tRNA Fragment Upregulation with SARS-CoV-2 but Not with SARS-CoV Infection

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes widespread infection with long-term neurological effects.
• Understanding SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanisms is crucial for addressing its impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comparatively analyze changes in tRNA fragments (tRFs) during SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infections.
• To identify potential roles of tRFs in SARS-CoV-2-associated neurological symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of publicly available total and small RNA sequencing data from Calu3 cell lines.
• Comparative analysis of tRF expression profiles in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infected cells.
• Integration of expression data with theoretical target predictions for tRFs.

Main Results:

• Extensive upregulation of multiple tRFs observed exclusively in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Significant downregulation of tRNA methyltransferase (TRDMT1) identified only in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Enrichment of neural functions, including axon guidance, among predicted tRF targets and downregulated genes in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Conclusions:

• tRFs exhibit distinct expression patterns in SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to SARS-CoV.
• Downregulation of TRDMT1 may be an upstream event in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• tRFs are implicated in the neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, potentially through targeting genes like SEMA3C.