Abstract
Coronaviruses are enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that can infect animal and human hosts. The infection induces mild or sometimes severe acute respiratory diseases. Nowadays, the appearance of a new, highly pathogenic and lethal coronavirus variant, SARS-CoV-2, responsible for a pandemic (COVID-19), represents a global problem for human health. Unfortunately, only limited approaches are available to treat coronavirus infections and a vaccine against this new coronavirus variant is not yet available. The plasma membrane microdomain lipid rafts have been found by researchers to be involved in the replication cycle of numerous viruses, including coronaviruses. Indeed, some pathogen recognition receptors for coronaviruses as for other viruses cluster into lipid rafts, and it is therefore conceivable that the first contact between virus and host cells occurs into these specialized regions, representing a port of cell entry for viruses. Recent data highlighted the peculiar pro-viral or anti-viral role played by autophagy in the host immune responses to viral infections. Coronaviruses, like other viruses, were reported to be able to exploit the autophagic machinery to increase their replication or to inhibit the degradation of viral products. Agents known to disrupt lipid rafts, such as metil-β-cyclodextrins or statins, as well as autophagy inhibitor agents, were shown to have an anti-viral role. In this review, we briefly describe the involvement of lipid rafts and autophagy in coronavirus infection and replication. We also hint how lipid rafts and autophagy may represent a potential therapeutic target to be investigated for the treatment of coronavirus infections.
Highlights
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large group of enveloped animal and human viruses, with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome
The Coronaviridae family, to which they belong, includes four genera of CoVs, indicated as Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Gammacoronavirus, and Deltacoronavirus (Cui et al, 2019; Chen et al, 2020). αCoV and βCoV have evolutionary evolved from bats and rodents, and have been responsible for human infections; whereas δCoV and γCoV derive from avian species (Woo et al, 2012). αCoV and βCoV are further divided into subgroups, 1a-1b and 2a-2d, respectively, Lipid Rafts and Autophagy in Coronavirus (Graham et al, 2013; Drexler et al, 2014; Cui et al, 2019; Fung and Liu, 2019) (Supplementary Figure S1)
Lipid rafts are involved in many biological functions including endocytosis, signal transduction, cell communication, and regulation of autophagy (Nabi and Le, 2003; Shi et al, 2015). Because of their capacity to cluster into a “phagocytic synapse” several pathogen recognition receptors (Toll-like receptors, C-type lectin receptors), lipid rafts are the focus of intense research in the field of infection
Summary
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large group of enveloped animal and human viruses, with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome. Lipid rafts are specialized plasma membrane microdomains involved in important processes of the virus infections and of the host target cells (Rosenberger et al, 2000).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
