南亚热带森林演替过程中土壤线虫群落结构变化

森林演替会通过改变植物群落组成和土壤环境影响土壤生物群落, 反过来, 土壤生物群落的变化也会对生态系统的演替产生反馈作用, 但迄今南亚热带森林演替过程中土壤生物群落的变化特征尚不清晰。本研究以广东省鼎湖山的南亚热带森林演替序列(马尾松(Pinus massoniana)林-针阔叶混交林-季风常绿阔叶林)为对象, 研究了森林演替过程中土壤线虫多样性和群落结构的动态变化及其影响因素。通过采集不同演替阶段的土壤样品, 分析和比对了不同演替阶段土壤线虫的多度、多样性、群落组成、土壤线虫生态指数以及土壤理化性质的差异。结果表明: (1)在南亚热带森林演替过程中, 针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林土壤线虫的α多样性显著高于马尾松林, 但土壤线虫总数和各营养类群多度及其相对丰度并无显著变化; (2)针阔叶混交林中土壤线虫富集指数显著高于马尾松林, 表明其土壤养分状况要好于马尾松林, 而季风常绿阔叶林土壤线虫结构指数较高, 表明其受干扰程度较低; (3)针阔叶混交林的土壤含水量和土壤理化性质(除土壤总磷含量)已达到季风常绿阔叶林的水平, 但两者的土壤pH值均显著低于马尾松林, 而土壤pH值和土壤含水量是影响土壤线虫群落动态变化的主要因素。综上所述, 南亚热带森林中土壤线虫多度、多样性和群落结构对森林演替的响应略有不同, 演替过程中土壤环境因素的趋同是导致针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林中土壤线虫多样性和群落特征相似的主要原因。     

南亚热带森林植被恢复演替序列的土壤有机碳氮矿化

采用室内培养的方法,分析了南亚热带鼎湖山森林植被恢复演替序列不同阶段代表性森林—马尾松林、针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林土壤(0~10cm)CO2、CH4排放/吸收和有机氮矿化的差异.结果表明:3种森林土壤培养52周的CO2-C累积排放量分别为(30.66±3.36)、(58.17±7.25)和(59.31±13.58)mg·kg-1,而其中的65.12%、64.41%和64.12%均在前9周被排放;马尾松林土壤的CO2-C累积排放量一直显著小于针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林;用相符的二库动力学模型模拟的活性库和惰性库的碳矿化速率均呈递减趋势;土壤培养52周吸收CH4的累积量、培养20周有机氮净矿化量和净硝化量均为马尾松林<针阔叶混交林<季风常绿阔叶林(P<0.05),净矿化的有效氮以硝态氮为主.说明森林植被类型的变化改变了土壤有机碳的分解速率,这是其影响土壤有机碳含量的一种内在方式.     

南亚热带森林土壤微生物量碳对氮沉降的响应

研究了鼎湖山自然保护区3种森林生态系统土壤微生物量碳对氮沉降增加的响应.选取南亚热带代表性森林类型马尾松林、混交林和季风常绿阔叶林(季风林)建立野外模拟氮沉降试验样地.2003年7月开始每月进行氮处理.这些处理分别为对照、低氮处理、中氮处理和高氮处理,即0、50、100 kg N hm-2 a-1 和150 kg N hm-2 a-1.在2004年11月和2006年6月用氯仿熏蒸浸提法分别测定土壤微生物量碳和土壤可浸提有机碳.土壤微生物量碳和可浸提有机碳含量均表现为2006年6月高于2004年11月;季风林高于马尾松林和混交林.随着氮沉降增加季风林土壤微生物量碳减少,但可浸提有机碳含量则增加,且此趋势在高氮处理下表现明显.然而,氮沉降增加对马尾松林和混交林土壤微生物量碳和可浸提有机碳含量的影响不显著.以上结果表明,氮沉降增加可能提高季风林土壤有机碳的固持能力.     

南亚热带典型森林演替类型粗死木质残体贮量及其对碳循环的潜在影响

森林生态系统中的粗死木质残体(Coarse woody debris, CWD)不仅能够为其它生物提供生境,维持森林结构,而且对生物地球化学循环起着不可忽视的作用,CWD作为森林生态系统中重要的结构和功能元素,已经引起广泛关注。然而,华南地区典型亚热带森林生态系统中CWD的结构和功能方面的研究很少。该文报道了鼎湖山自然保护区内典型南亚热带森林生态系统中CWD的贮量及其特征,所选择的森林包括马尾松(Pinus massoniana)林、针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林,它们分别代表该气候区域内处于森林演替早期、中期和后期3个阶段的森林类型。其中马尾松林和针阔叶混交林都起源于20世纪30年代人工种植的马尾松纯林,由于长期受到包括收割松针、CWD和林下层植物等在内的人为活动的干扰,到2003年调查时马尾松林仍属于针叶林;而混交林样地自种植之后就未受到人为活动的干扰,自然过渡为针阔叶混交林类型。人为干扰对马尾松人工林的结构和功能产生了巨大的影响,马尾松林的生物量仅为针阔叶混交林生物量的35%。组成马尾松林、针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林CWD的树种数量分别为7、18和29;马尾松林中几乎没有CWD存在(贮量仅为0.1 Mg C·hm^-2),针阔叶混交林CWD的贮量为8.7 Mg C·hm^-2,季风常绿阔叶林CWD的贮量为13.2 Mg C·hm^-2,分别占地上部分生物量的9.1%和11.3%;针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林中只有将近10%的CWD以枯立的方式存在。该区域内CWD的分解速率较快,在区域碳循环中将扮演重要角色,保留林地中的CWD是维持本区域森林生产力和森林可持续管理的重要举措。     

内伶仃岛主要植被及姥落类型的特征和分布

广东省伶仃岛位于不拘珠江口伶仃洋的东部,属南亚热带季风气候区,其自然植被的主要类型有：南亚热带常绿针叶林、南亚热带针阔叶混交林、南亚热带常绿阔叶林、南亚热带红树林、南亚热带竹林、南亚热带常绿灌丛、南亚热带灌草丛、滨海砂生灌草丛等,包括８个植业型、１８个群系。人工植被主要有台湾相思林等４个群系,以及果园林４类、作物园４类。地带性植被为南亚热带党绿阔叶林;优势植被类型为台湾相思林、马尾松林,两者的建群     

广西十万大山地区不同植被类型土壤微生物特征

为研究广西十万大山地区热带不同植被类型土壤微生物特征及其与土壤养分之间的关系,对次生阔叶林、马尾松林、灌草丛和撂荒地的土壤理化性质、微生物数量特征及微生物生物量碳氮磷进行了测定。结果表明:相同土层的土壤微生物总数大小依次为:次生阔叶林马尾松林灌草丛撂荒地,并随土壤深度增加而减少。土壤微生物生物量碳氮磷随土壤深度的增加而逐渐降低,在不同植被类型的土壤中差异显著。次生阔叶林、马尾松林、灌草丛的土壤微生物生物量与土壤养分呈极显著相关,而撂荒地的相关性明显低于其他3种植被类型,并且其土壤微生物生物量磷与全氮、速效氮和速效钾含量无相关性。由此可见,土壤微生物数量和微生物生物量均可作为评价十万大山森林生态系统土壤肥力的指标;可采用植被恢复手段促进土壤微生物群落的发育、改良土壤特性以促进该区域退化生态系统的恢复。     

内伶仃岛主要植被及群落类型的特征和分布

广东省内伶仃岛位于珠江口伶仃洋的东部,属南亚热带季风气候区,其自然植被的主要类型有：南亚热带常绿针叶林、南亚热带针阔叶混交林、南亚热带常绿阔叶林、南亚热带红树林、南亚热带竹林、南亚热带常绿灌丛、南亚热带灌草丛、滨海砂生灌草丛等,包括８个植被亚型、１８个群系。人工植被主要有台湾相思林等４个群系,以及果园林４类、作物园４类。地带性植被为南亚热带常绿阔叶林;优势植被类型为台湾相思林、马尾松林,两者的建群种均为衰退种群,已形成多个发育阶段。论文对各主要植被类型及群落结构特征进行分析。     

鼎湖山自然保护区土壤有机碳贮量和分配特征

基于61个土壤剖面的数据,分析了鼎湖山自然保护区4种自然植被类型(沟谷雨林、季风常绿阔叶林、山地常绿阔叶林和山地灌木草丛)和4种次生植被类型(马尾松针叶林、针阔混交林、次生季风常绿阔叶林和常绿灌丛)的土壤有机碳贮量及其分配特征.结果如下(1)各植被类型土壤有机碳含量随深度增加而减少,但植被类型不同其减少程度不同.除 >40cm土层外,自然植被类型的土壤有机碳含量明显高于次生植被类型.(2)土壤碳密度和土壤有机碳含量一样随深度增加而减少.两大植被类型间比较,除山地灌木草丛 >40cm土层外,自然植被类型各个土层土壤碳密度都高于所有的次生植被类型对应的碳密度.对于整个土层而言,各植被类型土壤碳密度在30.9～127.9 t/hm2间,总平均为73.9 t/hm2.(3)各植被类型的土壤厚度平均为36.7～73.3cm,总平均为56.4cm.除了山地常绿阔叶林外,土壤厚度基本上沿海拔高度增加而减少.(4)保护区各植被类型总面积为1028.4 hm2,土壤总碳贮量为72287.0 t,其中0～10、10～20、20～40cm和 >40cm四个土层分别占32.0%、20.6%、25.8%和21.6%.自然植被土壤碳贮量在表层(0～20cm)的比重比次生植被的高.所有的植被类型中,混交林碳贮量贡献最大,季风常绿阔叶林次之.自然植被类型土壤在碳贮存方面发挥积极的作用.(5)通过比较,鼎湖山保护区土壤碳密度整体较低,表层土壤碳贮量贡献较大.分析表明人为干扰是制约土壤碳贮存量大小的重要因素.     

南亚热带森林土壤有机碳组分对模拟酸雨的早期响应

应用人工模拟酸雨控制实验,探讨鼎湖山国家级自然保护区三种南亚热带主要植被类型(季风常绿阔叶林、针阔叶混交林和马尾松林)的土壤有机碳组分,包括土壤总有机碳(TOC)、土壤易氧化有机碳(ROC)、土壤不易氧化有机碳(NROC),在不同模拟酸雨处理梯度:对照CK(pH4.5的天然湖水)、pH4.0、pH3.5、pH3.0处理下的响应特征。结果表明:上层土壤(0~20cm)易氧化有机碳、不易氧化有机碳和总有机碳含量与森林类型密切相关,大小顺序均表现为混交林阔叶林马尾松林。经25个月模拟酸雨处理,鼎湖山森林土壤酸化有加剧的趋势;CK、pH4.0、pH3.5、pH3.0四个处理下土壤上层剖面易氧化有机碳含量分别为阔叶林(7.14、8.29、8.74、9.84g·kg-1)、混交林(8.58、8.53、10.28、10.36g·kg-1)和马尾松林(3.90、4.49、4.74、5.48g·kg-1),三个林型土壤易氧化有机碳含量呈现随模拟酸雨强度增加而升高的趋势;森林土壤总有机碳和不易氧化有机碳含量变化缓慢,在各酸梯度处理下差异不显著(P0.05)。研究结果显示,长期的酸雨作用使土壤酸化不断加剧,易氧化有机碳对酸雨的响应更敏感,但其在酸雨下积累的趋势不利于土壤总有机碳的存埋,但关于酸雨对土壤总有机碳的影响仍然需要长期的实验监测。     

中国南亚热带森林不同演替阶段土壤呼吸的分离量化

量化森林土壤呼吸(R_S)及其组分对准确地评估森林土壤碳吸存极其重要。该文以鼎湖山南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林及其演替系列针阔叶混交林和马尾松(Pinus massoniana)林为研究对象, 采用挖壕沟法结合静态气室CO₂测定法对这3种林分类型的R_S进行分离量化。结果表明: 鼎湖山3种森林演替系列上的森林R_S及其组分(自养呼吸R_A、异养呼吸R_H)均呈现出明显的季节动态, 表现为夏季最高、冬季最低的格局。在呼吸总量上, 季风常绿阔叶林显著高于针阔叶混交林和马尾松林, 但混交林与马尾松林之间差异不显著; R_A除季风常绿阔叶林显著大于针阔叶混交林外, 其余林分之间差异不显著; 对于R_H来说, 3个林分之间均无显著差异。随着森林正向演替的进行, 由马尾松林至针阔叶混交林至季风常绿阔叶林, R_A对土壤总呼吸的年平均贡献率分别为(39.48 ± 15.49)%、(33.29 ± 17.19)%和(44.52 ± 10.67)%, 3个林分之间差异不显著。方差分析结果表明, 土壤温度是影响R_S及其组分的主要环境因子, 温度与R_S及其组分呈显著的指数关系; 土壤含水量对R_S的影响不显著, 甚至表现为轻微的抑制现象, 但未达到显著性水平。对温度敏感性指标Q₁₀值的分析表明, 3个林分均为R_A的温度敏感性最大, R_H的温度敏感性最小。     

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.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.