Fig. 2.

COVID-19 and NETosis. SARS-CoV-2 viral particles invade the alveoli in the lung where they bind type 2 pneumocytes via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is also present on the surface of many other cell types. As a result of the infection, neutrophils transmigrate into the alveoli, where NETosis is activated leading to release of decondensed chromatin (and other nuclear, possibly modified, components) and granular contents to the extracellular space. This figure was created using BioRender (https://biorender.com/).

A – SARS-CoV-2 invading the alveoli.

B – SARS-CoV-2 binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 of the type 2 pneumocytes.

C – Neutrophil transmigrating to the alveoli.

D – Neutrophil extracellular traps activation and release (NETosis).

E – Enhancement of platelet aggregation induced by NETosis.

F – Neutrophil cytokines and proteases degranulation.

G – Modification of self-proteins in the citrullination induced by peptidylarginine deiminases.