关苍术花部综合特征与繁育系统的研究

采用定点观察,运用杂交指数估算、花粉/胚珠比(P/O)测定、套袋授粉等方法,对关苍术的花部综合特征及繁育系统进行研究。结果表明:种群花期为7月下旬至9月初,单花序花期为12~17 d,小花日开放高峰期为早上7:00~8:00;花粉活力最高(90%以上)在开花后2 h以内,而此时其柱头尚无可授性,柱头在花开48~72 h以内具有较强可授性;花粉/胚珠比为6 690,杂交指数为5,繁育系统为专性异交,优势访花者为蜂类和蝇类;套袋和授粉实验结果表明关苍术不存在无融合生殖现象,自交和同株异花结实率很低,其繁育系统以异交为主。通过关苍术花部综合特征和繁育系统的研究,进一步了解其生物学特性,为关苍术资源保护和人工培育提供了理论基础。     

深山含笑传粉生物学研究

为明确深山含笑(Michelia maudiae)的传粉生物学特性,该文以西华师范大学校园内的深山含笑为研究材料,采取野外观察法记录了深山含笑的开花动态、访花者及访花频率;用游标卡尺法,测定了深山含笑的异交指数(OCI);用醋酸洋红法,测定了花粉胚珠比(P/O);用套袋和人工授粉法,测定了深山含笑的繁育系统。结果表明:(1)深山含笑为早春开花植物,其种群花期为2~3月,持续30d左右,单花花期5~6d;在单花开放初期,最内层的花瓣未绽开,是适应潮湿或多雨的环境而保护花药与柱头免受雨水的冲刷,提高雌雄性适合度,确保繁殖成功的一种策略;(2)深山含笑的有效传粉者为蜜蜂,访花时间集中在晴朗天气的中午;(3)深山含笑的异交指数(OCI)等于5,花粉胚珠比(P/O)为2 933±50;(4)深山含笑为雄蕊先熟,柱头可授性在开花第2~3天达到最高;(5)套袋和人工授粉表明深山含笑为兼性自交和异交授粉,其中异交授粉的座果率和结籽率显著高于自交授粉。早春开花的深山含笑,其传粉者为单一的蜜蜂,繁育系统为异交,部分自交亲和,结果为引种栽培、良种选育等提供依据更好地利用和保护此资源奠定基础。     

矮紫金牛的开花生物学与繁育系统研究

矮紫金牛(Ardisia humilis)是优良的野生观赏植物。为探究该植物开花生物学与繁育系统特征,促进其杂交选育与园林应用,该研究以同质园引种的矮紫金牛为对象,对其开花物候、访花昆虫种类及访花行为进行观测,采用花粉离体萌发法和联苯胺-过氧化氢法,对花粉活力与柱头可授性进行检测,结合配子显微观测法和控制性授粉实验,对其繁育系统进行分析。结果表明：(1)花期为5月中下旬至6月中上旬,盛花期在5月底,单花、单株和群体水平的花期分别为1、17～20、25 d。(2)开两性花,雌蕊先熟,与雄蕊成熟期部分重叠,柱头可授性滞至雄蕊凋谢后1 d。(3)杂交指数(OCI)值为4,花粉/胚珠比(P/O)值为5.61×10³,显示其繁育系统以异交为主,部分自交亲和,需要传粉者。(4)自然授粉的结实率最高(平均52.96%),其次是自花授粉(52.29%)和人工异株授粉(50.33%),三者差异不显著(P> 0.05),但均显著高于人工同株授粉的结实率(28.67%)(P<0.05),显示矮紫金牛不仅异交亲和性强,还具有很强的自动自花授粉能力。(5)主要传粉昆虫包括隧蜂科...     

光果甘草生殖生物学特性的初步研究

对光果甘草的花部特征、花粉活力、柱头可授性和花粉-胚珠比(P/O)进行了初步研究.结果表明:(1)光果甘草雄蕊异型,雌雄蕊异位,有利于避免自花授粉;(2)开花当天花粉活力在上午12:00最高,为91.8%,14:00迅速下降,16:00到达最低,16:00以后逐渐上升;(3)柱头可授性可持续4 d,以开花当天可授性最强;(4)花粉-胚珠比(P/O)为1 751.1±217.002,表明其繁育系统类型为兼性异交.     

欧报春二型花柱的繁育特性研究

二型花柱植物通常具有自交不亲和性,在不同植物中所表现的可育性不同。欧报春(Primula vulgaris)是典型的二型花柱植物,为了探究欧报春的繁育特性,通过温室栽培,对欧报春的长花柱和短花柱的花部特征、花粉和花柱形态、花粉活力、柱头可授性、花粉/胚珠比、杂交指数、杂交亲和性、花粉管观察进行研究。结果表明,(1)长花柱和短花柱的花冠直径、花冠筒长度、柱头高度、花药高度和花筒中部直径均表现出两型性;(2)花粉和柱头观察发现花粉极轴长、花粉赤道轴长、花柱直径、柱头乳突细胞和花粉数量均有差异;(3)长花柱的花粉/胚珠比为384.20,短花柱为369.70,属于兼性异交类型;长花柱和短花柱的花粉活力和柱头可授性能在较长时间内维持较高活力;(4)长花柱杂交指数值为5,短花柱为4,表明繁育系统类型为异交,部分自交亲和,需要传粉者;6种授粉组合均能结实,异型花间授粉的结实数明显高于同型自花授粉和异株同型授粉;短花柱为母本的异型花间授粉组合亲和性优于其他组合;欧报春存在自交不亲和性,长花柱的自交不亲和性低于短花柱。     

宁夏枸杞传粉生态学初步研究

田间观察检测了宁夏枸杞(Lycium barbarum L.)9个品系的开花物候、开花动态、花粉活力、柱头可授性及其繁育系统,并对花粉萌发、花粉管生长以及访花者的种类和访花行为进行了初步研究.结果表明,宁夏枸杞整个居群有长达5个月的花期,单花的花期仅为3～4 d,花粉活力可保持15 d左右,柱头可授性在72 h左右,雌雄生殖单位在持续时间上有较长的相遇期;花粉数量与胚珠比(P/O)为4 000左右,杂交指数(OCI)介于3或4,繁育系统为异交型,需要传粉者;荧光显微观察表明,参试的3个品系的花粉均能在柱头上萌发,2个有自交不亲和现象,其位置发生在花柱的上半部分和子房内.访花昆虫有17种,分属双翅目、膜翅目和鳞翅目,花的结构和开花式样适合以意大利蜜蜂和食蚜蝇为主的多种昆虫传粉.     

野生翠雀传粉生物学特性研究

对从北京郊区引种的野生翠雀(Delphiniun grandiflorum L.)的开花习性进行了观察,对其花粉活力、柱头可授性,花粉/胚珠比(P/O),杂交指数(OCI)进行了检测,并进行了人工授粉实验。结果表明:(1)翠雀的花序为总状花序,具3~15朵花,花梗长1.5~3.8cm,单花期10d,花序花期15~18d。(2)翠雀花粉活力日变化呈先升高后降低的趋势;柱头在开花当天至开花后4d无可授性,在开花后的5d、6d有可授性。(3)翠雀的花粉胚珠比(P/O)为2 159.14,杂交指数OCI为5;人工授粉实验表明,翠雀在自然条件下能够结实,结实率为100%;存在自主自花授粉现象,部分自交亲和,结实受传粉者限制;不存在无融合生殖现象。(4)翠雀主要的访花昆虫有四条无垫蜂和短腹管蚜蝇。研究认为,翠雀的繁育系统为兼性异交或专性异交,部分自交亲和,需要传粉者。     

华北驼绒藜繁育系统研究

通过定株观察、人工套袋授粉试验等对华北驼绒藜繁育系统进行了研究。结果显示:(1)华北驼绒藜的花粉寿命为6d,花粉胚珠比(P/O)为1 351 189±391 779;自然条件下存在着同株授粉和异株授粉两种方式,但以异株授粉为主,其繁育系统属于兼性异交。(2)华北驼绒藜在有花粉时柱头可授性为6d(柱头露出后5～10d),但在缺乏花粉不能完成授精时,柱头会出现徒长现象,其可授性可以维持12d(柱头露出后9～20d)。(3)人工套袋授粉结果显示,华北驼绒藜最佳授粉时间是柱头露出后6～7d,此时年均授粉结实率最高(94.83%);在柱头失去过氧化物酶活性时(柱头露出后21d)授粉结实率年均为4.93%;相对于柱头最佳可授期,华北驼绒藜具有较高结实率的授粉时间范围较宽。研究表明,在长期的进化过程中,华北驼绒藜形成了P/O较高、柱头可授性时间长以及在异株授粉优势的情况下,还保留同株授粉方式的生殖补偿机制,对其野生退化群落的种群恢复具有积极的意义。     

山羊臭虎耳草的延迟自动自花授粉机制

通过对山羊臭虎耳草6个花形态及其发育阶段、授粉过程的连续观察和对花粉活性、柱头可授性的连续检测,报道了一种新的延迟自动自花授粉机制,即山羊臭虎耳草花丝运动引导的延迟自动自花授粉。利用电子显微镜研究了花粉囊的破裂方式和柱头结构,同时利用苏丹Ⅲ研究了花粉的组织化学性质。结果显示:(1)第四生长阶段,当花丝引导大部分花粉囊运动至柱头上方时,花粉和柱头的可授性才均达到峰值[可授性分别为(94±6)%和(96±13)%],这种运动消除了第三生长阶段花粉活性较高[(90±8)%]而柱头可授性较低[(6±17)%]的异花授粉特征,即消除了花粉与柱头的时空隔离;自动自花授粉发生于异花授粉特征消除之后,因此山羊臭虎耳草具有典型的延迟自动自交行为。(2)第四发育阶段柱头空腔的大量柱状突起和花粉鞘的油脂性特征,增加了花粉和柱头的接触表面,并且使花粉更好地互相堆积粘附在柱头上,提高授粉效率。(3)对山羊臭虎耳草的繁育系统研究表明,强制自花授粉和人工自花授粉产种量无明显差异,2007年和2008年的自交系数高达0.92和0.91,说明山羊臭虎耳草具有很好的自交能力并且不存在花粉数量限制;人工异花授粉的产种率显著高于人工自花授粉,说明自花花粉的质量显著低于异花花粉,虎耳草延迟自动自花授粉存在生殖衰退,生殖保障系数2007年为0.92,2008年为0.91,表明在极端环境下自动自花授粉为该植物提供了繁殖保障,但极端环境下,没有观察到有效的授粉昆虫。研究表明,作为高山冰缘植物的山羊臭虎耳草,保留了开花植物异花授粉的特征,在极端环境下利用延迟自动自花授粉机制完成授粉,保障生殖。     

珍稀濒危植物距瓣尾囊草(Urophysa rochkii)的开花物候和繁育系统特性

通过野外观察,运用套袋授粉和联苯胺-过氧化氢法等实验方法对距瓣尾囊草开花物候以及种群的繁育系统特性进行研究。研究结果:1)距瓣尾囊草为两性花,聚伞状花序,花期较长,从头年12月持续到次年4月,单花花期持续8—15 d,种群花期可持续4个月左右。2)距瓣尾囊草在花朵未开放前花粉没有活力,花药开裂当天花粉活力达到94.8%,第2天为90.3%,第3天为81.6%,第4天为62.9%,此后其花粉活力明显减弱;柱头可授性于散粉后第3天开始出现,散粉后4—5天最强,散粉后第8天柱头失去可授性;柱头可授性和花粉活力有5 d左右的重叠期。3)其花粉胚珠比P/O为938.5±250,按照Cruden标准划分,其有性繁育系统为兼性异交。4)按照Dafni的标准,距瓣尾囊草的OCI=4,即繁育系统为异交、部分自交亲和、需要传粉者。5)人工异花授粉结实率达80%以上,略高于自然结实率78.94%;直接套袋结实率为5.71%;去雄套袋和去雌套袋均不结实。以上结果表明,距瓣尾囊草繁育系统表现为异交为主、部分自交亲和并且不存在无融合生殖现象,其开花物候、花部特征和繁育系统为适应特殊的环境提供了一定的生殖保障,本次研究结果为距瓣尾囊草的迁地保护和种群的繁衍复壮提供理论依据。     

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.