猕猴觅食策略的地域性差异

本文通过1年连续野外观察（2015年12月至2016月11月）,对比研究了广东省内伶仃—福田国家级自然保护区野生群和台山上川岛猕猴省级自然保护区内半野生投食群的猕猴觅食策略异同,分析了食物数量和食物营养对猕猴觅食行为的影响,探讨了猕猴对生境变化的应对策略及其适应机制。研究结果表明,野生群和半野生群猕猴均偏好取食低灰分果实。另外,比起取食较少的果实,半野生群猕猴主要取食的果实具有低含水量和低蛋白等特点。全年来看,野生群猕猴偏好取食分布数量多的果实;半野生群猕猴食果频率月间波动受环境果实量影响,符合能量最大化理论。野生群和半野生群猕猴采食乔木树叶的行为均不受乔木数量的影响;而且两者采食所有生活型植被的叶的行为不受叶营养的影响。本研究表明猕猴会根据环境的食物资源数量和质量调整其觅食策略,具有对不同生活环境灵活适应的能力。     

黄山短尾猴mtDNA控制区序列变异及种群的遗传多样性

短尾猴属灵长目(Primates)猴科(Cercopithecidae)猕猴属(Macaca),是我国特有的国家二级保护动物。为了更有效地保护其野生种群,本文研究了黄山短尾猴种群内的遗传多样性,并对黄山短尾猴与四川短尾猴种群间的遗传差异进行了分析。共测定了黄山短尾猴7个群体中的30个样本的mtDNA控制区5′端493bp的序列,只发现了7个变异位点,定义了3种单倍型,单倍型序列之间缺乏变异,种群中的核苷酸多样性很低(0.006);3种单倍型相应地将黄山种群分为了3个亚群,不同亚群之间呈现出一定的片断化分布,从分子水平上初步揭示了短尾猴黄山种群的遗传多样性。与四川短尾猴的相应序列比较,黄山短尾猴控制区序列存在很大差异,共有59个变异位点,而且存在大片段的碱基插入/缺失,有78%的遗传变异发生在两个种群之间,两个种群间的核苷酸歧异度已达8.21%。进一步分析表明,黄山短尾猴与四川短尾猴之间存在着极显著的遗传分化(FST=0.399,P<0.001),基于最大似然法和邻接法构建的系统发生树均将两者聚为不同的类群,支持将它们归入各自的管理单元。     

猴类pERT87-15位点的多态性分析

应用人X染色体上的pERT87-15DNA探针,分析了猕猴属的猕猴、豚尾猕猴、熊猴、毛面短尾猴和红面短尾猴等共5种89只猴子的基因组DNA,首次发现在相当于人类 pERT87-15的位点上存在着3个“等距”的多态性位点。单体型分析提示这3个多态位点位于其X染色体上。这些结果表明,人类某些基因组探针也可适用于某些灵长类动物基因组DNA的多态性分析,并为研究动物DNA及其种系发生提供了新的信息。     

水稻基因组精细序列图绘成

在坦桑尼亚戈姆比国家公园经过了为期3年对17只野生黑猩猩的研究,科学家发现其中12只用棍子探白蚁窝时使用左手,4只使用右手,1只左右手分工不是那么明确。在最新一期的美国《国家科学院院刊》上,美国埃莫利大学耶基斯国家灵长类动物     

短尾猴（Macaca arctoides）和猕猴跟骨的功能形态研究

本文从形态描述和统计入手,对短尾猴(macaca arctoides)和猕猴的跟骨进行了比较研究。结果表明,所研究的跟骨变量无论数值大小还是几何图形结构都存在一定差异。特别是跟骨最大宽、跟长、后距骨连结面长、跟骨高度及相对跟长存在显著性差异水平。猕猴跟骨变量间的相关关系比短尾猴的表现得更为紧密。据其形态与功能的关系,我们认为:与猕猴相较,短尾猴更适应于地栖生活。这似乎与短尾猴具更大的体重有关。     

黄山短尾猴（Macaca thibetana）的主要食性分析

2011年11月至2012年10月,作者采用粪便显微分析法研究了黄山短尾猴的四季食性.结果表明：黄山短尾猴共取食植物26科50种;不同季节间黄山短尾猴食性具有明显变化,冬季取食13科25种植物,春季取食23科46种植物,夏季取食14科32种植物,秋季取食17科37种植物;壳斗科、樟科是黄山短尾猴全年的主要食物,占短尾猴总取食量的51.26%～59.75%,其他科属植物也占有重要地位;甜槠在四季均为黄山短尾猴的主要取食食物,豹皮樟在冬季取食量相对较高,秋季最低,红楠、杉木在冬春季节的取食比例差异最大;黄山短尾猴采取与其他灵长类相似的觅食策略;黄山短尾猴四季食物生态位宽度差异不明显,受人为影响较为明显.     

豚草和苍耳上广聚萤叶甲的寄主选择和取食量比较

为探究豚草与苍耳上的广聚萤叶甲种群是否存在分化,对来自这两种植物上的叶甲(分别称为"豚草叶甲"和"苍耳叶甲")进行了选择性试验,并测定了其对5种近缘植物的取食量.选择性试验结果表明,两群来源不同的叶甲对豚草和苍耳的选择偏好存在显著差异,表现为豚草叶甲更偏好豚草,而苍耳叶甲相对更偏好苍耳.对广聚萤叶甲成虫取食量的测定结果表明,对不同测试植物的取食量随来源寄主植物不同而存在显著差异,两群叶甲对向日葵的取食量存在显著差异,但对其他植物的取食量均无显著差异.豚草叶甲对豚草的取食量显著大干对其他测试植物的取食,24h平均取食量达51.27 mm2,而对其他4种植物的取食量无显著差异,均低于40 m2;苍耳叶甲取食豚草的量为52.24mm2(24 h),与取食向日葵和三裂叶豚草量无显著差异,但显著大干取食苍耳和菊芋的量,取食后两种植物的量没有显著差异.研究结果说明,苍耳属植物可能是广聚萤叶甲除豚草外的另一潜在寄主植物.     

短尾猴和猕猴在中国安徽省南部的分布

短尾猴(Macaca thibetana)和猕猴(Macaca mulatta)在安徽省的分布见于长江以南,短尾猴限于海拔600-1500米的山地,而猕猴则从平地一直分布到没有短尾猴占据的较高山地。短尾猴所选择的栖息地海拔高度较高,并决定于是否有悬崖和常绿阔叶林。两种猴的分布区,都因人类的严重干扰而缩小。但是,如果其栖息地得到很好的保护,它的种群密度可以接近黄山的水平。两种猴之间的分布界限也反映了它们生态关系的一般形式。     

短尾猴与红面猴细胞色素b基因变异特点及系统发育分析

测定了2个短尾猴和1个红面猴个体的线粒体细胞色素b基因全序列,与猕猴、食蟹猴和叟猴的序列合并比较,分析了核苷酸序列差异和碱基替换特点,并以阿拉伯狒狒为外群,构建系统发生树。结果表明,短尾猴基因序列中A、T、G、C的含量分别为29.0%、25.5%、11.8%、33.6%,红面猴中A、T、G、C的含量分别为29.4%、24.3%、11.4%、34.9%,碱基组成具有哺乳动物的共同特点,短尾猴与红面猴序列间的同源性为90.1%。红面猴与食蟹猴之间的同义替换和异义替换值(Ks、Ka)以及Kimura双参数距离都要小于红面猴与短尾猴之间的差异值,在构建的系统发生树中,叟猴最早分化出来,红面猴并未与短尾猴聚为一支,而是与猕猴、食蟹猴聚在了一起。     

海南猕猴的形态学特征及其适应性

本文通过测量猕猴海南亚种(Macaca mulatta brevicaudus)的形态学指标,讨论了该亚种的形态特点及其适应性意义。于2015年7-8月在海南省陵水县猕猴自然保护区对8个群的猕猴进行了形态学指标测量,共测得253只个体的体质量,132只个体的头长、顶臀长、尾长、前脚掌长、后脚掌长、前臂长、后臂长、大腿长、小腿长等体长数据。研究结果发现：1)猕猴海南亚种的体型明显小于位于更高纬度地区的川西亚种、福建亚种和指名亚种,也小于相近纬度的大陆猕猴,结果支持贝格曼法则和岛屿法则。2)猕猴海南亚种雄性的生长速度大于雌性,且前者体型显著大于后者。3)群大小对群内个体的体型无显著影响,无显著群间竞争。4)个体的体质量、头长、顶臀长随等级增加而增加,但是尾长、臂长、腿长和脚掌长与等级无显著相关关系。本文为探讨猕猴属的形态演化提供基础资料,同时也为濒危灵长类保护和管理提供科学依据。     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.