中国槲寄生属花粉形态的研究

首次系统地报道中国槲寄生属10种植物花粉形态。通过光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察,国产槲寄生属种类可按花粉的外壁纹饰分为两大类群,与形态上划分相一致。类群Ⅰ(8种)具不显著或近光滑的外壁纹饰,这一类型又可分为2个亚型:纹饰在花粉各个部位基本上是一致的和纹饰在赤道和极、沟两侧不一致的;类群Ⅱ(2种)外壁具显著的杆状纹饰。但花粉性状对形态上相近的种类鉴定意义不大。还讨论了槲寄生属花粉的可能的演化趋势。     

国产杜英科花粉形态的研究

本文对国产杜英科3属28种的花粉形态进行了光学显微镜观察,并对其中15种进行了扫描电镜观察。观察结果表明杜英科花粉属于小型花粉,3孔沟,沟达极区,内孔横长,在光学显微镜下外壁光滑,外壁内外层分层不明显,两层近相等,3属很难区分;在扫描电镜下,杜英属花粉外壁纹饰分为颗粒状、皱网状和穴状或穴网状三种类型,猴欢喜属花粉外壁纹饰仅有皱网状一种类型,两届难以区别;而文丁果届具有明显的网状纹饰,与另外两属有明显区别。在本科中花粉演化趋势之一可能是向体积增大的方向进行。在花粉形态上与椴树科区别明显,支持将杜共科作为独立的科。同时,花粉形态特征还显示了与大风子科、红树科等的部分相似性。     

中国鸢尾属花粉形态研究

本文借助光学显微镜和扫描电镜,对我国产鸢尾属Iris L．32种植物的花粉形态进行 了观察。该属植物的花粉为舟形或近球形。萌发孔可分为远极单沟、远极单沟-拟沟、二合 沟及无萌发孔等类型。外壁主要为网状纹饰,少数具瘤状或鼓槌状纹饰。本文依据花粉形态 和其它器官特征,对本属花粉外壁及萌发孔的演化趋势及某些种的分类地位进行了探讨。     

苹果属花粉形态特征及其分类学和进化意义

本文用扫描电镜观察了苹果属Malus 26种及5个杂种的花粉形态,描述了外壁纹饰形态特征的 变化类型,并对其进化趋势作了推论,指出外壁纹饰类型具属内分组意义。苹果属花粉在形状。大小、沟孔位置及数量、外壁纹饰等方面都十分相似。外壁纹饰的主要演化趋势可能是：由密的细条纹型到具有穿孔的、较少条纹型。杂种的外壁纹饰对于判断亲本种的关系有一定意义,属内种间的杂合导致了多倍体种、新变种、栽培种的大量出现,甚至是新种产生的方式。     

泽泻科的花粉形态研究

本文对泽泻科11属27种代表植物的花粉进行了光学显微镜、扫描电镜和透射电镜观察。在系统描述了该科及各属植物花粉形态的基础上,将泽泻科植物的花粉划分为3种类型,即少果泽苔草型、慈菇型和泽泻型。根据花粉形态特征的比较,并依据泽泻科植物祖先类群的花粉具有船形、具单沟萌发孔、花粉外壁具明显的刺状纹饰、覆盖层完整无通道等特征,作者认为泽泻科植物花粉形态的如下演化趋势是明显的：由船形演化为卵球形、球形和多面体球形;由单沟萌发孔经过一无孔的中间类型演化为散孔类型;孔膜由光滑演化为具颗粒和小刺;萌发孔不内陷进化到内陷;花粉粒外壁的刺状纹饰逐渐过渡为颗粒状纹饰或者消失,以及覆盖层由无通道到具细通道和通道。     

中国荞麦属果实形态特征

应用解剖镜和扫描电镜对中国产荞麦属Fagopyrum Mill．8种1变种的果实形态和微形态特征进行了观察。结果表明这些种类的果实可分为3类：(1)果实三棱锥状,表面不光滑,无光泽,具皱纹网状纹饰,此种类型的植物有苦荞麦、金荞麦。(2)果实卵圆三棱锥状,表面光滑,有光泽,具条纹纹饰,此种类型的植物有荞麦、长柄野荞麦、线叶野荞麦。(3)果实卵圆三棱锥状,表面光滑,有光泽,具大量的瘤状颗粒和少数模糊的细条纹纹饰,此种类型的植物有硬枝野荞麦、细柄野荞麦、小野荞麦、疏穗小野荞麦。研究结果认为金荞麦与栽培种苦荞麦关系较近。     

中国菟丝子属植物花粉的扫描电镜观察

本文作者用扫描电镜(SEM)对国产菟丝子属(Cuscuta L.)10种植物的花粉形态进行了观察。具3沟萌发孔的花粉为本属基本类型。根据萌发孔的数目,外壁纹饰等特征,该属花粉可划分为三个类型:(1)具3沟,外壁具穿孔,表面散生小刺状突起;(2)具3—5沟,外壁具网状纹饰,网脊上散生小刺状突起;(3)具3—6沟,外壁具小刺状突起,穿孔偶见。本文观察结果与刘炳仑等曾报道过光学显微镜(LM)下的结果不完全一致。最后,对菟丝子属的花粉形态的演化趋势以及属内亚属间关系进行了讨论。     

豹子花属的花粉形态研究，兼论与百合属的界限问题

本文借助光学显微镜和扫描电镜,对豹子花属Nomocharis 6种植物和百合属Lilium 4 种植物的花粉形态与外部特征作了较系统的比较研究,其结果如下： 1．豹子花属植物花粉的 萌发孔均为单沟(远极)型,根据其外壁结构及表面纹饰的特点,可分为基柱网纹型和网纹 型,结合外部形态特征推断,可能存在由基柱网纹→网纹的进化趋势。 2．百合属植物花粉 的萌发孔多为单沟(远极)型,稀为2一3孔型,然而,其中外部形态极为相近的小百合集合群与 尖被百合在花粉形态上表现出较大的差异,这一事实为研究百合科花粉的演化提供了线索。豹 子花属与百合属花粉虽在表面纹饰上存在区别,但从外部形态上,该属的一些种类与百合属极 为相近,反映出二属之间存在着较为紧密的亲缘关系。     

中国柽柳科植物花粉形态的研究

本文用光学显微镜和扫描电镜观察了分布于我国的4属30种柽柳科植物花粉形态。并用透射电镜研究了柽柳属的代表种, Tamarix elongata外壁内部的超微结构。本科花粉为三沟, 少数属种为三拟孔沟。根据扫描电镜观察, 柽柳属花粉外壁表面具粗网状纹饰和细网状纹饰, 以及界于这两个类型之间的过渡类型。水柏枝属外壁表面具粗网状纹饰, 细网状纹饰, 小穿孔以及小的蠕虫状突起。红沙属和枇杷柴属均为细网状纹饰。 本科柽柳属花粉与杨柳科中柳属的花粉特征较相似, 本文提出了它们之间的区别。     

山茶属的花粉形态及其分类学意义

本文对山茶属(Camellia L.)18个组27个代表种的花粉进行了光学显微镜、扫描电镜和大部分进行了透射电镜的观察,并对花粉大小、形状、外壁纹饰和超微结构等作了综合的比较。结果表明,其形状和大小差异不很明显。花粉壁的层次、厚度和不同层次的比例,如复盖层与柱状层以及外壁外层与外壁内层的比例等也没有显著的差异。但花粉壁的纹饰特征在扫描电镜下显示出较大的差异,具有较重要的分类学价值。根据其纹饰特征,可以把山茶属花粉大致区分为六个类型:皱疣状纹饰;粗瘤状纹饰;颗粒状至皱-颗粒状纹饰;穴-网状纹饰;皱沟状纹饰及皱波-念珠状纹饰。孢粉学上区分的类型不完全与各个学者从植物形态上划分的组相一致。其中管蕊茶 Camellia lanceolata的纹饰非常特殊(粗瘤状),其外壁表面很象牛心果(Annona reticulata)的外形特征,为其重新分类提供孢粉学依据。     

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.