SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein binding of glycated serum albumin - its potential role in the pathogenesis of the COVID-19 clinical syndromes and bias towards individuals with pre-diabetes/type 2 diabetes & metabolic diseases.

Since the immune response to SARS-CoV2 infection requires antibody recognition of the Spike protein, we used MagMix, a semi-automated magnetic rack to reproducibly isolate patient plasma proteins bound to a pre-fusion stabilised Spike and nucleocapsid proteins conjugated to magnetic beads. Once eluted, MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry identified a range of immunoglobulins, but also in Spike protein magnetic beads we found a high affinity for human serum albumin. Careful mass comparison revealed a preferential capture of advanced glycation end product (AGE) glycated human serum albumin by the pre-fusion Spike protein. The ability of bacteria and viruses to surround themselves with serum proteins is a recognised process of immune evasion. A lower serum albumin concentration is a reported feature of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms and high probability of death. This binding preference of the Spike protein for AGE glycated serum albumin may contribute to immune evasion and influence the severity & pathology of SARS-COV2 towards acute respiratory distress. Thus, it can be hypothesised, contributing to the symptom severity bias and mortality risk for the elderly and those with (pre)diabetic and atherosclerotic/metabolic diseases who contract SARS-CoV2 infections. Graphic abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=112 SRC="FIGDIR/small/21258871v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (43K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2d9e7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1300c4corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1776193org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a6ffc6_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

SRSF3 maintains transcriptome integrity in oocytes by regulation of alternative splicing and transposable elements.

The RNA-binding protein SRSF3 (also known as SRp20) has critical roles in the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing. Zygotic knockout of Srsf3 results in embryo arrest at the blastocyst stage. However, SRSF3 is also present in oocytes, suggesting that it might be critical as a maternally inherited factor. Here we identify SRSF3 as an essential regulator of alternative splicing and of transposable elements to maintain transcriptome integrity in mouse oocyte. Using 3D time-lapse confocal live imaging, we show that conditional deletion of Srsf3 in fully grown germinal vesicle oocytes substantially compromises the capacity of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and consequently entry into meiosis. By combining single cell RNA-seq, and oocyte micromanipulation with steric blocking antisense oligonucleotides and RNAse-H inducing gapmers, we found that the GVBD defect in mutant oocytes is due to both aberrant alternative splicing and derepression of B2 SINE transposable elements. Together, our study highlights how control of transcriptional identity of the maternal transcriptome by the RNA-binding protein SRSF3 is essential to the development of fertilized-competent oocytes.