mTOR signaling pathway genes effect in COVID-19 infection

Year 2024, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 191 - 206, 18.10.2024

Mukaddes Pala , Şenay Görücü Yılmaz , Elif Seren Tanriverdi , Ayten Gunduz Leman Acun Delen , Dilara Altay Ozturk , Mesut Öterkuş

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is an infectious disease that causes severe acute respiratory illness caused by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 uses host-specific metabolic pathways, including mTOR. The mTOR pathway is hyperactive in viral respiratory tract infections and contributes positively to viral replication. 100 samples were evaluated, 50 patients (Female=23, Male=27), and 50 controls (Female=29, Male=21). The patients were individuals who were COVID-19 positive. We detected expression changes of 5 genes in mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) (MLST8, mTOR, RPTOR, MAPKAP1 and RICTOR). Serum samples were obtained from all patients. The expression changes of mTORC1 and mTORC2 Complex genes were evaluated with Real-time PCR method. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed to define the diagnostic power of these genes. Expression changes of five genes in the mTORC1 and mTORC2 complex were statistically significant (p =0.001) and upregulated in serum. The area under the ROC Curve values indicating the diagnostic power of genes were 0.948, 0.771, 0.851, 0.798, and 0.805, respectively. These genes may be candidate for treatment targets. The high discriminative power of these genes in patients from controls indicates their diagnostic potential in serum samples.

Keywords

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2)

Ethical Statement

This study has been approved by the clinical research ethics committee of Malatya Turgut Ozal University (2021/27).

Supporting Institution

Malatya Turgut Ozal University

Project Number

Project No:2021/7

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