湖南通道发现雷山琴蛙

2020年5月23日在湖南省通道县万佛山镇(26° 11′47″N,109°56′21″E,海拔924 m)采集到4号两栖动物标本,经形态特征比较,与雷山琴蛙(Nidirana leishanensis)相似;基于线粒体16S rRNA构建的琴蛙属(Nidirana)部分物种贝叶斯系统发育树显示,此次采集的琴蛙标本与雷...     

贵州威宁发现景东臭蛙

2020年8月6日在贵州省威宁县雪山镇（27°04′09″N,104°04′44″E,海拔2 218 m）采集到6号两栖动物标本,经形态特征比较,与景东臭蛙（Odorrana jingdongensis）相似;基于线粒体16S rRNA构建臭蛙属（Odorrana）部分物种系统发育树,此次采集的臭蛙标本与景东臭蛙聚为一支,且具有较高的支持率（0.97/92,贝叶斯法/最大似然法）;基于Kimura双参数模型估算本次采集的臭蛙标本与景东模式产地标本间的遗传距离为0%,远小于臭蛙属物种间的遗传距离（1.3%～9.5%）。综合形态特征和分子系统发育比较,确定此次采集到的臭蛙标本为无尾目（Anura）蛙科（Ranidae）臭蛙属的景东臭蛙,系贵州省两栖动物分布新记录种。     

中国无尾两栖类新记录种——朝鲜侧褶蛙北大核心CSCD

2021年9月在沈阳市蒲河湿地公园(41°41′54″N,122°52′19″E,海拔35 m)采集到3号无尾两栖类动物,经形态特征比较确认为侧褶蛙属(Pelophylax)金线侧褶蛙种组(P.plancyi species complex)的物种。基于线粒体12S rRNA和16S rRNA基因联合构建的侧褶蛙属部分物种最大似然系统发育树显示,采集到的侧褶蛙标本与朝鲜侧褶蛙(P.chosenicus)聚为一支,且具有较高的支持率(0.95)。综合形态和系统发育比较,确定采集到的标本为无尾目(Anura)蛙科(Ranidae)侧褶蛙属的朝鲜侧褶蛙,系中国两栖动物分布新记录种。     

贵州省梵净山国家级自然保护区发现川南短腿蟾

2013年7月24~31日,在贵州省梵净山国家级自然保护区进行两栖爬行资源调查时,在江口县黑湾河龙泉寺(27°51'06″N,108°41'06″E,海拔559 m)采集到1只两栖动物标本。经鉴定,该标本为雌性川南短腿蟾(Brachytarsophrys chuannanensis),系贵州省两栖动物新纪录。标本保存于贵阳学院贵州省生物多样性与应用生态学特色重点实验室。     

贵州桐梓发现大别山林蛙

2019年7月在贵州桐梓黄莲自然保护区(107°2'37.31″E,28°29'31.95″N,海拔1 666 m)采集到2号两栖动物标本,经形态特征比较,与大别山林蛙Rana dabieshanensis相似;基于线粒体16S rRNA构建的蛙属Rana部分物种贝叶斯系统发育树显示,此次采集的林蛙标本与大别山林蛙聚为一支,且具有较高的支持率(0.98);基于Kimura双参数模型估算,该标本与大别山林蛙模式产地标本间的遗传距离为0.6%～0.8%,远小于蛙属物种间的遗传距离。综合形态学和系统发育比较,确定此次采集到的标本为无尾目Anura蛙科Ranidae蛙属的大别山林蛙,系贵州省两栖动物分布新记录。     

广东省两栖动物一新纪录——小湍蛙

2009年6月,笔者在位于广东省信宜市的云开山自然保护区东坑附近山间溪流采得4号蛙类标本(22°15'08″N,111°11'00″E,933 m),经鉴定为小湍蛙Amolops torrentis,为广东省两栖动物新纪录种,标本保存于华南濒危动物研究所.     

贵州赤水发现峨眉角蟾

2019年5月18和19日,在贵州赤水桫椤国家级自然保护区金沙沟片区(28°26′12″N,105°59′52″E海拔465m)采集到8只两栖动物标本。形态上,这些标本与模式产地的峨眉角蟾(Megophrys omeimontis)相近。基于528 bp的16S rRNA基因片段构建最大似然系统发育树表明,本次采集的8只标本与峨眉角蟾模式产地标本聚在一起,其遗传距离远小于角蟾属其他物种之间的遗传距离。因此,结合分子系统学分析及形态学比较,确认这些标本为无尾目(Anura)角蟾科(Megophryidae)角蟾属的峨眉角蟾,系贵州省两栖动物分布新记录种。     

中国两栖动物新纪录--多疣棘蛙的再证实

多疣棘蛙(Paa verrucospinosa(Bourret),1939)是Bourret于1937年根据越南沙巴采集到的标本订为棘胸蛙一新亚种[1],1939年他改订为新种[2]。寇治通等人1983年10月在云南省勐腊县景飘采到一只雌性成体蛙的标本,作为我国多疣棘蛙的新纪录发表[5]。但一直未得到承认[3,4,6~9]。笔者于2003年7月在云南省景洪市勐龙乡勐宋村、2004年8月在云南省勐腊县勐远镇艺班东村进行两栖动物调查时,采集到8号蛙类标本,经鉴定为蛙科棘蛙属多疣棘蛙(Paa verrucospinosa),这是中国两栖动物新记录,标本现保存于云南大学生命科学学院脊椎动物标本室,现报道如下。…     

湖南宜章发现两栖动物侏树蛙

2016年4月和2017年5月,在湖南省莽山国家级自然保护区相思坑(24°56′57.51″N,112°59′18.21″E,海拔1 342 m)采集到小型蛙类6只,均为雄性成体,经鉴定为无尾目(Anura)树蛙科(Rhacophoridae)树蛙属(Rhacophorus)的侏树蛙(R.minimus),属于湖南省两栖动物分布新记录。测量了6只个体的14项外形特征量度数据,并描述了其形态特征。PCR扩增16S rRNA基因并测序,与同属另外8种的16S rRNA基因进行分子系统进化分析,结果支持形态鉴定结果。目前标本保存于湖南师范大学生命科学学院脊椎动物学实验室。     

浙江省发现两栖纲寒露林蛙（无尾目：蛙科）

2016年8月24日,在浙江省丽水市莲都区葑垟林场(28°11′51″N,119.°49′2″E,海拔1 100 m)采得无尾目(Anura)蛙科(Ranidae)寒露林蛙(Rana hanluica)雄性成体标本1号;2017年2月14日于同一地点采得蝌蚪标本10号。该物种为浙江省两栖纲新纪录。     

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.