A Closer Look at ACE2 Signaling Pathway and Processing during COVID-19 Infection: Identifying Possible Targets.

Since the identification of its role as the functional receptor for SARS-CoV in 2003 and for SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, ACE2 has been studied in depth to understand COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. ACE2 is a widely expressed protein, and it plays a major regulatory role in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone System (RAAS). The key to understanding susceptibility and severity may be found in ACE2 variants. Some variants have been shown to affect binding affinity with SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we discuss the role of ACE2 in COVID-19 infection, highlighting the importance of ACE2 isoforms (soluble and membrane-bound) and explore how ACE2 variants may influence an individual's susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease outcome.