PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Einat B Vitner
AU  - Roy Avraham
AU  - Boaz Politi
AU  - Sharon Melamed
AU  - Tomer Israely
TI  - Elevation in sphingolipid upon SARS-CoV-2 infection: possible implications for COVID-19 pathology
AID  - 10.26508/lsa.202101168
DP  - 2022 Jan 01
TA  - Life Science Alliance
PG  - e202101168
VI  - 5
IP  - 1
4099  - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/5/1/e202101168.short
4100  - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/5/1/e202101168.full
SO  - Life Sci. Alliance2022 Jan 01; 5
AB  - Understanding pathways that might impact coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifestations and disease outcomes is necessary for better disease management and for therapeutic development. Here, we analyzed alterations in sphingolipid (SL) levels upon infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 infection induced elevation of SL levels in both cells and sera of infected mice. A significant increase in glycosphingolipid levels was induced early post SARS-CoV-2 infection, which was essential for viral replication. This elevation could be reversed by treatment with glucosylceramide synthase inhibitors. Levels of sphinganine, sphingosine, GA1, and GM3 were significantly increased in both cells and the murine model upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. The potential involvement of SLs in COVID-19 pathology is discussed.