SARS-CoV-2 Research from an Interdisciplinary and Holistic View

Dear Colleagues,

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling is widely accepted as a relevant sensor for environment–organism communication. Abiotic and biotic environmental changes, including viral threats, induce ROS signaling that starts at the cell membrane of primary target cells and subsequently infiltrates into the cellular redox network, where mitochondrial respiration plays a central role in regulation. Immunometabolism research typically focuses on the interplay between energy metabolism and biochemical pathways in order to identify their influence on the functionality of innate and adaptive components of the classical immune system. However, whether resilience signaling begins earlier than suspected or microbiota play a possible role in this process remains unknown. This Special Issue aims to collect research aiding the understanding of early metabolic responses and their drivers in primary target cells upon viral attacks linked to resilience. Special attention will be given to research related to SARS-CoV-2 variants. We welcome high-quality human, animal and plant research strictly relevant to this topic from across all types of disciplines, including clinical observations advancing current knowledge with new approaches. Manuscripts may be brief reports, communications, research articles, opinion papers and reviews that provide novel perspectives [1–11]. 

Relevant Recent Publications:

1. Arnholdt-Schmitt, B.; Mohanapriya, G.; Bharadwaj, R.; Noceda, C.; Macedo, E.S.; Sathishkumar, R.; Gupta, K.J.; Sircar, D.; Kumar, S.R.; Srivastava, S.; et al. From Plant Survival Under Severe Stress to Anti-Viral Human Defense − A Perspective That Calls for Common Efforts. Front. Immunol. 2021, 12, 673723. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.673723.
2. Costa, J.H.; Mohanapriya, G.; Bharadwaj, R.; Noceda, C.; Thiers, K.L.L.; Aziz, S.; Srivastava, S.; Oliveira, M.; Gupta, K.J.; Kumari, A. Sircar, D.; Kumar, S.R.; Achra, A.; Sathishkumar, R.; Adholeya, A.; Arnholdt-Schmitt, B. ROS/RNS Balancing, Aerobic Fermentation Regulation and Cell Cycle Control - a Complex Early Trait ('CoV-MAC-TED') for Combating SARS-CoV-2-Induced Cell Reprogramming. Front Immunol. 2021, 12, 673692. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.673692.
3. Bharadwaj, R.; Noceda, C.; Mohanapriya, G.; Kumar, S.R.;Thiers, K.L.L.; Costa, J.H.; Macedo, E.S.; Kumari, A.; Gupta, K.J.; Srivastava, S.; Adholeya, A.; Oliveira, M.; Velada, I.; Sircar, D.; Sathishkumar, R.; Arnholdt-Schmitt, B. Adaptive Reprogramming During Early Seed Germination Requires Temporarily Enhanced Fermentation-A Critical Role for Alternative Oxidase Regulation That Concerns Also Microbiota Effectiveness. Front. Plant Sci. 2021, 12, 686274. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.686274
4. Mohanapriya, G.; Bharadwaj, R.; Noceda, C.; Costa, J.H.; Kumar, S.R.; Sathishkumar, R.; Thiers, K.L.L.; Santos Macedo, E.; Silva, S.; Annicchiarico, P.; Groot, S.P.C.; Kodde, J.; Kumari, A.; Gupta, K.J.; Arnholdt-Schmitt, B. Alternative Oxidase (AOX) Senses Stress Levels to Coordinate Auxin-Induced Reprogramming From Seed Germination to Somatic Embryogenesis — A Role Relevant for Seed Vigor Prediction and Plant Robustness. Front. Plant Sci. 2019, 10, 1134. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01134
5. Costa, J.H.; Aziz, S.; Noceda, C.; Arnholdt-Schmitt, B. Major Complex Trait for Early De Novo Programming 'CoV-MAC-TED' Detected in Human Nasal Epithelial Cells Infected by Two SARS-CoV-2 Variants Is Promising to Help in Designing Therapeutic Strategies. Vaccines (Basel) 2021, 9, 1399. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9121399.
6. Costa, J.H.; Aziz, S.; Noceda, C.; Arnholdt-Schmitt, B. (2021b, preprint) Transcriptome data from human nasal epithelial cells infected by H3N2 influenza virus indicate early unbalanced ROS/RNA levels, temporarily increased aerobic fermentation linked to enhanced α-tubulin and rapid energy-dependent IRF9-marked immunization. bioRxiv 2021b, preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.18.464828
7. Arnholdt-Schmitt, B.; Aziz, S.; Costa, J.H. Allelic Gene Polymorphisms Suspected to Diversify the Individual Early Metabolic Response Upon Influenza H3N2 and SARS-CoV-2 Infections. IDDB 2022. doi:10.36401/IDDB-22-01.
8. Ferreira, A.O.; Cardoso, H.G.; Macedo, E.S.; Breviario, D.; Arnholdt-Schmitt, B. Intron Polymorphism Pattern in AOX1b of Wild St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) Allows Discrimination Between Individual Plants. Physiol Plant (2009) 137(4):520–531. DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2009.01291.x
9. Arnholdt-Schmitt, B.; Valadas, V.; and Döring, M. (2014). Functional marker development is challenged by the ubiquity of endophytes—a practical perspective. Brief. Funct. Genomics 15(1), 16–21. DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elu049
10. Arnholdt-Schmitt, B.; Aziz, S.; Costa, J.H. Efficient Rebalancing of ROS Levels in Plants Links to Temporarily Enhanced Aerobic Fermentation, Distinct Cell Restructuration, and Resilience in Field. IDDB 2022. doi:10.36401/IDDB-22-02.
11. Arnholdt-Schmitt, B.; Aziz, S.; Costa, J.H. Diversity Control in Early Transcribed ROS/RNS-balancing Genes: A Common Mechanism for Healthy Resilience? IDDB 2022. doi:10.36401/IDDB-22-03.

Prof. Dr. José Hélio Costa
Dr. Carlos Noceda
Dr. Birgit Arnholdt-Schmitt
Guest Editors

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