---
title: ACE2 — concise summary for biologists
tags:
  - deepdive2
  - gpt5-mini
  - pubmed
resources:
  - key: legacy-supplement-1
    kind: supplement
    upload_id: upl_cjqdk71yzkmwf9
    title: getRunnable
    legend: "Legacy supplemental file: getRunnable."
---


# Summary

ACE2 is the functional entry receptor for SARS‑CoV and SARS‑CoV‑2: the viral spike (S) receptor‑binding domain (RBD) engages the ACE2 peptidase domain, supported by structural and functional studies that show a conserved binding mode and, for SARS‑CoV‑2, generally higher RBD affinity for human ACE2[^1][^2][^3][^4]. Full‑length ACE2 structures (complexed with the B0AT1 transporter) define ACE2 dimerization and the molecular interface for RBD recognition[^5].

Spike activation by host proteases is required for ACE2‑dependent entry: TMPRSS2 primes S at the cell surface, and furin pre‑cleavage of SARS‑CoV‑2 S can reduce dependence on target‑cell proteases; pharmacologic inhibition of these proteases blocks entry in vitro and is a candidate antiviral strategy[^1][^6].

ACE2 expression is cell‑type specific and consistent with respiratory, intestinal and vascular tropism: ACE2 is expressed in lung alveolar epithelium, small intestinal enterocytes and vascular endothelium, which may contribute to multisystem manifestations of COVID‑19 and to routes of infection[^7][^9]. Viral engagement and downregulation of ACE2 can perturb the renin–angiotensin system and worsen lung injury, linking receptor usage to pathogenesis[^8].

Implications: structural and biochemical mapping of the ACE2–S interface informs therapeutic design (neutralizing antibodies, soluble ACE2 decoys) and helps explain species/host‑range differences; targeting protease activation (e.g., TMPRSS2/furin) is an orthogonal intervention approach[^4][^1][^10].

This summary was generated by summarizing the top 50 most cited paper abstracts that mention this gene using gpt5-mini (DeepDive), then prompting an LLM to review the resulting summary for issues and a final pass to fix the noted issues.

# References

[^1]: Hoffmann, M., Kleine‑Weber, H., Schroeder, S., et al. SARS‑CoV‑2 Cell Entry Depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and Is Blocked by a Clinically Proven Protease Inhibitor. Cell (2020).  
[^2]: Zhou, P., Yang, X.‑L., Wang, X.‑G., et al. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature (2020).  
[^3]: Wrapp, D., Wang, N., Corbett, K. S., et al. Cryo‑EM structure of the 2019‑nCoV spike in the prefusion conformation. Science (2020).  
[^4]: Lan, J., Ge, J., Yu, J., et al. Structure of the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike receptor‑binding domain bound to the ACE2 receptor. Nature (2020).  
[^5]: Yan, R., Zhang, Y., Li, Y., et al. Structural basis for the recognition of SARS‑CoV‑2 by full‑length human ACE2. Science (2020).  
[^6]: Shang, J., Wan, Y., Luo, C., et al. Cell entry mechanisms of SARS‑CoV‑2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2020).  
[^7]: Hamming, I., Timens, W., Bulthuis, M. L. C., et al. Tissue distribution of ACE2 protein, the functional receptor for SARS coronavirus. A first step in understanding SARS pathogenesis. J Pathol (2004).  
[^8]: Kuba, K., Imai, Y., Rao, S., et al. A crucial role of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in SARS coronavirus‑induced lung injury. Nat Med (2005).  
[^9]: Gupta, A., Madhavan, M. V., Sehgal, K., et al. Extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID‑19. Nat Med (2020).  
[^10]: Wan, Y., Shang, J., Graham, R., et al. Receptor Recognition by the Novel Coronavirus from Wuhan: an Analysis Based on Decade‑Long Structural Studies of SARS Coronavirus. J Virol (2020).

## Supplementary materials

- {{ref:legacy-supplement-1}} — getRunnable