  COVID-19 is an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus 2), which has caused a global outbreak. Current research
efforts are focused on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved
in SARS-CoV-2 infection in order to propose drug-based therapeutic options.
Transcriptional changes due to epigenetic regulation are key host cell
responses to viral infection and have been studied in SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV;
however, such changes are not fully described for SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we
analyzed multiple transcriptomes obtained from cell lines infected with
MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, and from COVID-19 patient-derived samples.
Using integrative analyses of gene co-expression networks and de-novo pathway
enrichment, we characterize different gene modules and protein pathways
enriched with Transcription Factors or Epifactors relevant for SARS-CoV-2
infection. We identified EP300, MOV10, RELA and TRIM25 as top candidates, and
more than 60 additional proteins involved in the epigenetic response during
viral infection that have therapeutic potential. Our results show that
targeting the epigenetic machinery could be a feasible alternative to treat
COVID-19.
