The MERS-CoV receptor gene is among COVID-19 risk factors inherited from Neandertals
Abstract
In the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, two genetic regions derived from Neandertals have been shown to increase and decrease, respectively, the risk of falling severely ill upon infection. Here, we show that 2-8% of people in Eurasia carry a variant promoter region of the DPP4 gene inherited from Neandertals. This gene encodes an enzyme that serves as a receptor for the coronavirus MERS-CoV and is currently not believed to be a receptor for SARS-CoV-2. However, the Neandertal DPP4 variant doubles the risk to become critically ill in COVID-19.
02 /Specification & Classification
Click any tag to browse matching papersReproducibility ledger
Nobody has reported trying to reproduce this paper yet. Did you replicate an experiment or run the code? Your report saves the next lab a week.
Sign in to file a reproducibility report.
Related papers
- A genetic variant protective for COVID-19 is inherited from Neandertals
Hugo Zeberg, Svante Pääbo·bioRxiv·Oct 5, 2020
- The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neandertals
Hugo Zeberg, Svante Pääbo·NaturePeer-reviewed·Sep 30, 2020
- COVID-19 genetic risk and Neanderthals: A case study highlighting the importance of scrutinizing diversity
Inken Wohlers, Verónica Calonga‐Solís, … Hauke S. Busch·bioRxiv·Nov 2, 2020
- Regulatory dissection of the severe COVID-19 risk locus introgressed by Neanderthals
Evelyn Jagoda, Davide Marnetto, … Terence Dante Capellini·eLifePeer-reviewed·Jan 27, 2023
- Q1020R in the spike proteins of MERS-CoV from Arabian camels and recent human cases confers resistance against soluble human DPP4
Nianzhen Chen, Hannah Kleine‐Weber, … Stefan Pöhlmann·bioRxiv·Jun 17, 2025
- Reduced DPP4 Binding Confers Resistance to Soluble DPP4 While Preserving MERS-CoV Entry into Cells Expressing High Levels of DPP4
Nianzhen Chen, Stefan Pöhlmann, Markus Hoffmann·bioRxiv·Sep 20, 2026