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. 2021 Nov 19;24(12):103478. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103478

Figure 2.

Figure 2

SARS-CoV-2 S protein induces the opening of Panx-1 channels

(A–L) Electrophysiological recordings obtained from human epithelial cells in the absence (black) and presence (red) of (A–C) 1 μM ATP, (D–F) hCoV-229E heat-inactivated (229E, 1 μL/mL) plus 1 μM ATP, (G–I) SARS-CoV-2 S protein (Prot S, 2.5 μg/mL) plus 1 μM ATP, and (J–L) SARS-CoV-2 S protein plus 1 μM ATP in the presence of the Panx-1 channel blocker, Probenecid (Prob, 1.0 mM).

(M) Example of currents recorded from an epithelial cell evoked by 12 s long voltage ramps (−70 mV to +70 mV) following the bath application of Prot S and 229E in the presence of ATP (arrows). Note that only SARS-CoV-2 S protein plus 1 μM ATP induced Panx-1 channel openings and that Prob prevented Panx-1 activation. (B, E, H, and K) show the mean ± SEM values of the fold changes in peak conductance measured from epithelial cells under the various conditions, and (C, F, I, and L) show the changes in peak conductance for each individual cell exposed to the experimental conditions. ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001 (paired t test).