中国小树蛙属一新种及海南冬季两栖爬行动物调查(图版Ⅰ)

2004年1月在海南省进行了两栖爬行动物调查,共获得20种和1新种。在吊罗山采到小树蛙成体,与眼斑小树蛙P．ocellatus Liuand Hu的体形、体色、鼓膜等特征相近,但有以下主要区别：胫跗关节前伸超过吻端,额部有2～3个银白色小斑点,背中部有一极明显的浅棕色椭圆形斑,腹面黄白色,前臂背侧具有2～3条横纹,故将该蛙定为新种。     

大树蛙与斑腿树蛙的繁殖与驯养

1997～2000年,在广州动物园生态蛙蟾馆观察与研究了笼养条件下大树蛙和斑腿树蛙的繁殖行为和驯养过程,比较了两种树蛙繁殖生态的差别。     

三种不同科属蛙类外周血细胞的比较

采用快速瑞氏-姬姆萨(Wright’s-Giemsa’s)染色法对斑腿泛树蛙(Polypedates megacephalus)和沼水蛙(Hylarana guentheri)的外周血细胞进行观察,并与北部湾棱皮树蛙(Theloderma corticale)已有的数据进行了比较。结果显示,三种蛙的血细胞均由红细胞、白细胞和血栓细胞组成,三种蛙的血细胞在形态结构上具有一定的共性,但在形态大小、数量上差异显著。沼水蛙的红细胞长径和短径均显著大于其余两种,分别为(23.56±2.78)μm和(14.25±1.62)μm;3种蛙的嗜中性粒细胞和小淋巴细胞在大小上没有明显差别,但北部湾棱皮树蛙的嗜酸性粒细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞的长径、短径均显著大于其他两种蛙。北部湾棱皮树蛙的红细胞数量显著少于其余两者,为(24.33±9.46)×10⁴/mm³;斑腿泛树蛙白细胞数量显著少于其余两种蛙,为(1.40±0.40)×10⁴/mm³。这些差异的产生可能与其生活环境以及生活习性有关。     

二种蛙类染色体核仁组织者的银染观察

本研究观察了斑腿树蛙和武夷湍蛙的Ag-NOR_s。其中斑腿树蛙的一对Ag-NOR_s出现在No-10染色体的长臂中间区。武夷湍蛙中,除No-6染色体长臂近着丝点区有一对Ag-NOR_s外,No-12上也有一对略小的Ag-NoR_s,这反映了Ag-NOR_s的扩增现象。从与某些近缘种相比较的结果表明,这两种蛙的次缢痕和Ag-NoR。位置,均具有本物种的特性,并且,在次缢痕与Ag-NOR_s之间有对应关系,但不是绝对的(武夷湍蛙No-11上未见有次缢痕区)。     

基于16S rRNA序列推断红蹼树蛙、棱皮树蛙和白斑小树蛙的非单系性

测定了4个种(红蹼树蛙、黑蹼树蛙、白斑小树蛙和红吸盘小树蛙)共11个种群的16S rRNA基因片段。双斑树蛙、马来棱皮树蛙、越南棱皮树蛙以及日本溪树蛙的同源序列通过GenBank检索获得。去除所有插入、缺失及模糊位点后,比对序列长度为500bp,其中变异位点115个,简约信息位点92个。以日本溪树蛙为外群,运用Bayesian法、MP法和ML法构建了系统发育树。结果表明红蹼树蛙和白斑小树蛙在种级水平上均不是单系。红蹼树蛙海南种群与双斑树蛙亲缘关系更近,并且来自云南不同地理种群的红蹼树蛙可以分为两大支系;越南棱皮树蛙与红吸盘小树蛙聚为一支,马来棱皮树蛙嵌套在白斑小树蛙不同地理种群中。进而认为白斑小树蛙是马来棱皮树蛙的同物异名,建议将红吸盘小树蛙并入棱皮树蛙属。     

基于16S rRNA序列推断红蹼树蛙、棱皮树蛙和白斑小树蛙的非单系性

测定了4个种（红蹼树蛙、黑蹼树蛙、白斑小树蛙和红吸盘小树蛙）共11个种群的16S rRNA基因片段。双斑树蛙、马来棱皮树蛙、越南棱皮树蛙以及日本溪树蛙的同源序列通过GenBank检索获得。去除所有插入、缺失及模糊位点后，比对序列长度为500 bp, 其中变异位点115个, 简约信息位点92个。以日本溪树蛙为外群，运用Bayesian法、MP法和ML法构建了系统发育树。结果表明红蹼树蛙和白斑小树蛙在种级水平上均不是单系。红蹼树蛙海南种群与双斑树蛙亲缘关系更近，并且来自云南不同地理种群的红蹼树蛙可以分为两大支系；越南棱皮树蛙与红吸盘小树蛙聚为一支，马来棱皮树蛙嵌套在白斑小树蛙不同地理种群中。进而认为白斑小树蛙是马来棱皮树蛙的同物异名，建议将红吸盘小树蛙并入棱皮树蛙属。     

中国的树蛙科动物并记树蛙属一新种（图版Ⅶ，Ⅷ）

本文首先对树蛙科动物的特征加以简要介绍。其次对近年在海南岛野外工作期间采集的树蛙科动物一种18雄3雌加以研究,在对其外部形态观察研究的基础上,初步判断它们隶属树蛙属,又将其中雌雄各一号的肩带及前肢制成双色骨骼标本,发现其肩胸骨基部深分叉,指骨末节游离端分叉甚深且呈“Y”形,证明它们确系树蛙属动物无疑。经详细研究和比较,确定它们是树蛙属中的一个新种,现对此新种进行描述和报道。     

宝兴泛树蛙和昭觉泛树蛙的染色体学研究,兼论两种的分类现状

本文选择宝兴泛树蛙模式标本产地四川宝兴居群（背部有斑点和无斑点两种类型）、大瓦山居群、瓦屋山居群,也选择了被命名为昭觉泛树蛙的模式标本产地四川昭觉的居群,共两种泛树蛙4个居群的5类52号标本,进行染色体组型、次缢痕及Ag-NORs研究。本文结果主要有三：1、首次报道宝兴泛树蛙地模标本的染色体组型,且证明背部有斑点与无斑点个体在染色体学方面没有显著区别;因此将过去文献上对宝兴泛树蛙色斑的描述作了补充。2、对昭觉泛树蛙昭觉居群的研究,证实吴贯夫与曾晓茂（1994）关于昭觉居群是与宝兴泛树蛙形态虽然相似,但染色体特征之间有极显著差别的另一个种,但按照“优先权律”,本文正式恢复刘承钊根据昭觉燕窝塘标本命名的胡氏泛村蛙学名的有效性,同时将吴与曾命名的昭觉泛树蛙学名作为前者的次定同物异名。3、本文所研究的宝兴泛树蛙属于广泛分布的种,建议有必要补充其它居群（如四川巴塘居群）的染色体学资料,再作进一步的分析是否尚有隐存种（或亲缘种）的存在。     

中国浙江发现树蛙属一新种（两栖纲：树蛙科）

依据形态特征比较和分子系统发育分析,将采自浙江丽水的树蛙属物种订为一新种——丽水树蛙Rhacophorus lishuiensis Liu,Wang and Jiang,sp.nov.。新种丽水树蛙主要鉴别特征为:1)体型较小,雄性体长34.2~35.8 mm,雌性体长45.9 mm;2)鼓膜直径大于眼径之半;3)后肢较短,胫跗关节前伸贴体达眼后角;4)背面光滑,无明显疣粒;5)生活时背面绿色,无斑或散有稀疏的浅蓝绿色细点;6)咽喉部白色,虹彩黄色;7)雄性具单咽下内声囊,第一指基部具浅黄色婚垫。依据线粒体基因12S rRNA、tRNAval和16S rRNA共2 038 bp序列以贝叶斯法构建树蛙属41个物种间的系统发育关系,新种丽水树蛙为一个独立的支系,并与绿背树蛙(R.dorsoviridis)支系以高支持率形成姐妹群(后验概率1.00),支长较长。     

云南8种树蛙的染色体组型比较研究

本文报道了云南８种树桂的染色体组型,并对目前所已知的树蛙种类的染色体组型进行了比较。锯腿小树蛙Ｐｈｉｌａｕｔｕｓｃａｖｉｒｏｓｔｒｉｓ（Ｇｕｅｎｔｈｅｒ）的２ｎ＝２６,５对大染色体和８对小染色体,９Ｍ＋４ＳＭ,ＮＦ＝５２,Ｎｏ．７长臂近着丝粒处和Ｎｏ．８短臂端部备有一个次缢痕;白颊小树蛙Ｐｈｉ．ｐａｌｐｅｂｒａｌｉｓＳｍｉｔｈ的２ｎ＝２６,５对人染色体和８对小染色体,８Ｍ＋５ＳＭ,ＮＦ＝５２,Ｎｏ．６短臂近着丝粒处有一个次缢痕。白颌大树蛙Ｒｈａ．ｍａｘｉｍｕｓＧｕｅｎｔｈｅｒ的２ｎ＝２６,５对大染色体和８对小染色体,９Ｍ＋４ＳＭ,ＮＦ＝５２;棕褶树蛙Ｒｈａ．ｆｅａｅＢｏｕｌｅｎｇｅｒ的２ｎ＝２６,５对大染色体和８对小染色体,９Ｍ＋４ＳＭ,ＮＦ＝５２;黑蹼树蛙Ｒｈａ．ｒｅｉｎｗａｒｄｔｉｉ（Ｂｏｉｅ）的２ｎ＝２６,５对大染色体和８对小染色体,９Ｍ＋４ＳＭ,ＮＦ＝５２,Ｍｏ．１短臂近着丝粒处有一个次缢痕;红蹼树蛙Ｒｈａ．ｒｈｏｄｏｐｕｓＬｉｕｅｔＨｕ的２ｎ＝２６,５对大染色体,１对中染色体和７对小染色体,９Ｍ＋４ＳＭ,ＮＦ＝５２;斑腿泛树蛙Ｐｏｌｙｐｅｄａｔｅｓｍｅｇａｃｅｐｈａｌｕｓ的２ｎ＝２６,５对大染色体     

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.