螺类牧食对伊乐藻与苦草种间关系的影响

动物牧食可以调节植物种间的相对竞争能力,从而改变物种在群落中的竞争地位.外来植物伊乐藻生长迅速、具有较强的光竞争能力,土著种苦草根系发达、具有较强的地下资源竞争能力.选择这两种各具竞争特色的沉水植物为模式生物,通过室外受控实验研究了螺类牧食对两种沉水植物种间关系的影响.结果表明:不管有无螺类牧食,伊乐藻的相对生长率为苦草的2～5倍,伊乐藻具有明显的竞争优势.苦草低密度种植时,螺类牧食与种间竞争对其生长没有显著影响;高密度种植时,螺类牧食活动促进了苦草的生长,种间竞争则使苦草的生长率明显降低.无论伊乐藻种植密度如何,螺类牧食均使其生长率明显降低,混栽高密度的苦草也能抑制伊乐藻生长.探讨了螺类牧食对沉水植物的种间竞争关系的作用机理.     

蓝藻胁迫条件下不同基质类型对苦草和伊乐藻生长的影响

为探讨蓝藻胁迫条件下沉水植物生长与基质营养含量的关系,研究了添加相同含量蓝藻后2 种不同基质(较贫瘠的黄色粘土和较肥沃的黑色淤泥)对苦草和伊乐藻2 种沉水植物生长的影响。结果表明:与伊乐藻相比,苦草的生物量在粘土条件下高于淤泥条件,而基质类型对伊乐藻生物量没有显著影响;苦草的最大叶片长度(用于表征株高)、无性系新株数目及其干物质重和伊乐藻的株高、分株数目和分枝干物质重也是在粘土条件下高于淤泥条件;苦草的最大根长在粘土条件下显著高于淤泥条件(p<0.05)。研究结果表明在蓝藻胁迫的条件下,高营养含量的基质不利于沉水植物的生长,并且对根生型沉水植物苦草的影响要大于假根沉水植物伊乐藻。     

中等强度收割对菹草和伊乐藻种间竞争的影响

以取代系列实验方法研究了中等强度收割对菹草(Potamogeton crispus)和伊乐藻(Elodea nuttallii)种间竞争的影响。竞争攻击力、相对产量、相对竞争强度、相对拥挤系数等指标表明:收割前后伊乐藻的种间竞争能力强于菹草;收割前单独培养和混合培养的菹草在盖度方面较伊乐藻占有明显优势(P0.05),但收割后菹草的盖度分别显著降低了33.5%和45.3%(P0.05),而伊乐藻的盖度显著提高(P0.05),最终伊乐藻在盖度方面略占优势;收割前,单独培养和混合培养的菹草的株均干重显著地大于伊乐藻(P0.05),但收割后菹草的株均干重有所下降,伊乐藻的株均干重增长显著(P0.05);收割后,两种方式培养的菹草的株均干重显著地小于伊乐藻(P0.05);中等强度收割抑制了0~25cm和25 cm以上部位菹草的分枝和干物质的累积,但促进了伊乐藻在各层分枝和干物质的累积,这将有利于伊乐藻在竞争中取胜;此外,菹草与伊乐藻的种间竞争对植物根的生长影响较小。     

外来种克氏原螯虾(Procambarus clarkii)对3种沉水植物的牧食研究

为探讨外来种克氏原螯虾(Procambarus clarkii)对沉水植物牧食的偏好性和牧食强度, 采用投喂实验的方式, 研究了3种沉水植物刺苦草(Vallisneria spinulosa)、轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)和伊乐藻(Elodea nuttallii)的适口性。结果表明, 克氏原螯虾对轮叶黑藻的取食速率最大(7.24±0.24 mg·d-1), 其次是苦草(3.70±1.14 mg·d-1), 伊乐藻最小(0.60±0.12 mg·d-1), 说明伊乐藻的适口性最差, 轮叶黑藻的适口性最好, 苦草的适口性居中。3种沉水植物的纤维素、多酚含量和氮含量都没有显著性差异, 而伊乐藻却具有更高的碳(C)含量和更高的碳氮比(C:N)。总体来说, 3种沉水植物的物理结构、碳(C)含量和碳氮比(C:N)在外来种克氏原螯虾对沉水植物的牧食中具有重要的作用。     

东太湖水生植物群落结构的演变及其沼泽化

2002年东太湖水生植被调查结果表明,沉水植被和浮叶植被是该湖水生植被的主要生态类型,分布面积分别占全湖总面积73.6%和18.3%。东太湖水生植被主要有9个群丛,其中沉水植被主要的5个群丛是伊乐藻(外来种)群丛、金鱼藻群丛、伊乐藻 微齿眼子菜群丛、菜-伊乐藻 微齿眼子菜群丛、苦草 竹叶眼子菜 黑藻群丛,其分布面积分别占东太湖植被总面积的30.7%、17.2%、16.7%、15.8%、9.3%。随着对东太湖的不断改造和资源的不断利用,20世纪60年代东太湖人工种植沼泽植被菰群丛,20世纪80年代初环湖水陆交错带被围垦而芦苇群丛消失,微齿眼子菜替代竹叶眼子菜而占据东太湖40%的水面。近10a来,东太湖网围养蟹迅速发展,占全湖总植被面积25.6%的沼泽植物——菰群丛及其占40%的微齿眼子菜群丛被清除,外来种伊乐藻和无根植物金鱼藻分布面积达90%的湖区。东太湖水生植被由20世纪50年代的原生演替到现在的次生演替,群落演变激烈,同时东太湖沼泽化进程加剧。     

叶片损害强度与基质营养水平对苦草补偿性生长的影响

通过室外双因子控制试验,研究了叶片损害强度与基质营养水平对沉水植物苦草补偿性生长的影响.结果表明：叶片损害与基质类型对苦草的累积生物量、生物量的分配（根叶比）及分株数均有显著影响.与未受损植物相比,强受损使苦草的累积生物量及无性分株数显著降低,根叶比明显升高,而弱受损与未受损处理之间没有明显差别.与营养贫瘠的岸泥相比,生长在肥力较高湖泥中的苦草的累积生物量较高,而根叶比与分株数较低;叶片损害与基质类型对苦草的相对生长率也有显著影响,受损使苦草的生长率明显提高,而两受损处理之间无显著差别.未受损与强受损时,湖泥中苦草的生长速率明显高于岸泥,弱受损时则相近.并初步探讨了水生植物受损后的补偿生长机理.     

牧食损害对伊乐藻(Elodea nuttallii)生长的影响

在室外实验条件下,研究了模拟牧食损害(动物牧食所造成的损害)对伊乐藻植株生长的影响。结果表明:3种人工损害方式(去除植株50%叶片,去除植株顶端,以及同时去除植物顶端与50%叶片)对伊乐藻的生长率、主枝与分枝长度的增长、植物的干物质、氮、磷含量等均有不同程度的影响。其中,去叶与去顶去叶损害显著抑制了伊乐藻的生长,相对生长率分别占未受损植株的62.8%与74.4%;去顶与去顶去叶损害使伊乐藻主枝生长几乎停止,却显著促进了植物分枝的生长;去叶损害对植株的生长率、主枝与分枝长度的生长无明显抑制并却显著地降低了分枝的重量。对受损伊乐藻生长的机理进行了分析,探讨了东太湖伊乐藻现存量近年来迅速增加的原因并认为植物残体是伊乐藻种群扩张的重要因素之一。     

牧食损害对伊乐藻(Elodea nuttallii)生长的影响

在室外实验条件下,研究了模拟牧食损害（动物牧食所造成的损害）对伊乐藻植株生长的影响。结果表明：3种人工损害方式（去除植株50%叶片,去除植株顶端,以及同时去除植物顶端与50%叶片）对伊乐藻的生长率、主枝与分枝长度的增长、植物的干物质、氮、磷含量等均有不同程度的影响。其中,去叶与去顶去叶损害显著抑制了伊乐藻的生长,相对生长率分别占未受损植株的62.8%与74.4%;去顶与去顶去叶损害使伊乐藻主枝生长几乎停止,却显著促进了植物分枝的生长;去叶损害对植株的生长率、主枝与分枝长度的生长无明显抑制并却显著地降低了分枝的重量。对受损伊乐藻生长的机理进行了分析,探讨了东太湖伊乐藻现存量近年来迅速增加的原因并认为植物残体是伊乐藻种群扩张的重要因素之一。     

春季不同程度低水位对四种沉水植物生理的影响

为了解不同沉水植物对春季低水位的生理响应, 在2014年春季开展为期3个月的控制实验, 研究不同程度的春季低水位, 包括极低水位(水深18 cm)、较低水位(36 cm)和低水位(54 cm)对3种乡土沉水植物微齿眼子菜、穗花狐尾藻和菹草的最大光化学量子产量(Fv/Fm)、总叶绿素含量和可溶性糖含量的影响, 并与外来种伊乐藻作对比。结果显示, 随着水位的降低, 微齿眼子菜、菹草和伊乐藻Fv/Fm显著升高, 而穗花狐尾藻的Fv/Fm无显著变化; 在3种水位下伊乐藻的Fv/Fm都明显高于其他3种植物。微齿眼子菜和菹草总叶绿素含量也随着水位降低有升高趋势, 而穗花狐尾藻和伊乐藻的总叶绿素含量随水位没有显著变化。所有水位下微齿眼子菜总叶绿素含量最高, 穗花狐尾藻最低, 菹草只在低水位下显著低于伊乐藻。微齿眼子菜、菹草和伊乐藻的可溶性糖含量随着水位的降低而下降, 穗花狐尾藻的可溶性糖含量随着水位的降低有升高趋势。在低水位和较低水位下穗花狐尾藻和菹草的可溶性糖含量分别是所有植物中的最小和最大, 但在极低水位下4种沉水植物的可溶性糖含量无明显差异。以上结果表明, 春季极低水位对微齿眼子菜、伊乐藻和菹草不产生胁迫,但对穗花狐尾藻产生了胁迫; 伊乐藻潜在光合能力强于乡土种, 在春季浅水区具备较强的入侵性。     

温度对五种沉水植物生长和营养去除效果的影响

研究温度对黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)、伊乐藻(Elodea canadensis)、狐尾藻(Myriophyllum spicatum)、苦草(Vallisneria spiralis)和竹叶眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)在霍格兰氏水培条件下的生长和营养去除效果的影响。结果表明 : 温度对五种沉水植物的生长有显著影响。除苦草的最适生长温度为 30 ℃外, 其余四种植物的最适生长温度为 20 ℃。五种植物的生长速度有显著性差异, 以伊乐藻、竹叶眼子菜、黑藻生长较快。对 TP 和 CODCr 的去除率随温度的升高而升高, 对 NH4-N的去除率除竹叶眼子菜外, 呈单峰曲线, 去除率最适温度为 25 ℃。五种沉水植物对 TP 的去除率通常差异不显著; 竹叶眼子菜对 NH4-N 去除率显著低于其他植物(p<0.05), 而对 CODCr 的去除率显著高于其他植物(p<0.05)。     

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.