Functional interrogation of a SARS-CoV-2 host protein interactome identifies unique and shared coronavirus host factors

Previously, an interactome mapping of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and host factors was developed to result in the identification of 332 interactors. In this study, these factors were knocked out by using CRISPR-Cas9 library to re-evaluate which factors might be required for SARS-CoV-2 infection and cytopathogenicity. The authors used Huh-7.5 hepatoma cells for the virus infection study because these cells express human ACE2 and TMPRSS2 both of which are required for the infection of SARS-CoV-2. By using these materials, they compared the necessity of host factors for the infection of several  coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-OC43. As the result, Rab GTPase and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor iosynthesis, and cholesterol homeostasis were identified to be important for these coronavirus replication and cytopathogenicity.