SARS-CoV-2 effects on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, therapeutic implications.

Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) is the cell-surface receptor enabling viral uptake of corona virus 2019 (SARS-CoV-2), thus ACE-2 is a first step towards COVID-19 disease. ACE-2 is a metalloenzyme located primarily on the apical surface, and serves as the entry point also for other coronaviruses, including HCoV-NL63 and SARS-CoV. Throughout evolution, ACE-2 precedes renin, suggesting that ACE-2's role changed over time.1.