“…Further, the DEGs obtained from HPMEC and HPMEC/ACE2 were similar, indicating ACE2 expression has minimal impact on the HPMEC transcriptional response to S. (Figures 5A, 5B, S4A, and S4B, Table S1, and S2). We observed numerous genes encoding ECM components, including proteoglycans, collagens and integrins, as well as genes coding for proteins involved in ECM degradation, such as CAPN2 (calpain), an endothelial cysteine protease, and HTRA1, which is responsible for degradation of fibronectin and proteoglycans, in agreement with our observations that S disrupts the EGL (46). Upregulation of XYLT2 (xylosyltransferase 2), an enzyme responsible for biosynthesis of CS, HS, and dermatan sulfate proteoglycans, is potentially involved in an EGL recovery pathway, post-S-mediated barrier dysfunction.…”