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. 2020 Dec 3;27(6):859–868. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.11.012

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© 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.

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SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Interaction with Host Cells

(A) Simplified schematic of the viral replication cycle. The virus enters the cell through binding of the ACE2 receptor and is internalized. Inside of the cell, viral RNA is produced, and structural and non-structural proteins are translated. New virions are assembled and released from the cell, resulting in cell lysis.

(B) Interferon pathway activation by SARS-CoV-2. Innate immune sensors recognize the virus, and transcription of interferon is turned on, leading to the production of interferon-stimulated genes. Stem-cell-derived models in which this has been detected are highlighted in the box.

(C) Disruption of cellular processes by SARS-CoV-2 and cell death. Through the hijacking of host cell proteins and pathways, SARS-CoV-2 can disrupt the essential functions of cells. Stem-cell-derived models in which this has been detected are highlighted in the box.

(D) Viral production. When cells are productively infected, SARS-CoV-2 virions are released at the end of the viral life cycle, causing cell lysis and death. Stem-cell-derived models in which this has been detected are highlighted in the box.