We are excited to present our latest research publication! Building on our previous work (Stukalov et al., 2020, Nature), we investigated the impact of the genetic depletion of 21 host proteins on five different viruses. Our findings showed an increased SARS-CoV-2 replication in MDM2 knockout cells, which was virus-specific. This phenomenon can be attributed to the notable elevation of ACE2 levels in the absence of MDM2, thereby triggering an augmented SARS-CoV-2 uptake. Furthermore, our study highlights the crucial role of the MDM2 ubiquitination site Lysine 788 in stabilizing ACE2 and its significance in the context of SARS-CoV-2 particle uptake.

Congratulations to all the authors involved in this exciting research!

Read more here: MDM2 Influences ACE2 Stability and SARS-CoV-2 Uptake

Text and illustration by Quirin.