江西蛇类多样性及其保护需求

目的为了有效保护江西的蛇类资源,对该地区蛇类的多样性、现状及其保护需求进行了总结。方法根据有关报道和我们调查的野外资料从物种多样性、分布、受胁情况等方面进行分析和比较。结果江西现有蛇类64种,占中国蛇类的31．1％,其中特有种18种;井冈山脊蛇（Achalinus jingganggensi）（Zong and Ma ,1983）是江西特有种,目前仅知分布于井冈山。有16种处于极度濒危、濒危和易危状态,占江西蛇类种数的25％;近危蛇类5种,占江西蛇类的7．8％。江西境内的武夷山是蛇类多样性最丰富的地区,其次是井冈山和庐山等。结论江西有近1／3的蛇类处于受胁状态,主要是由于过度利用和栖息地遭破坏所致。由于相当部分县、市缺乏蛇类分布等信息,建议尽快对江西蛇类资源进行全面调查。同时,提出相应的保护策略和措施。并建议建立特有珍稀蛇类繁育基地。     

广东象头山国家级自然保护区蛇类多样性及保护研究

目的了解广东象头山国家级自然保护区蛇类多样性现状,探讨保护区蛇类资源的有效保护对策。方法采用访问调查和野外样带调查相结合的方法。结果该保护区现已纪录蛇类有5科45种,占中国已纪录蛇类物种数的22．0％,占广东省已纪录蛇类物种数的46．4％,区系组成以东洋界华中区和华南区共有种为主,占82．2％。保护区有国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物蚺双带亚种（蟒蛇）（Python molurus bivittatus）,以及舟山眼镜蛇（Najaatra）、眼镜王蛇（Ophiophagus hannah）、灰鼠蛇（Ptyas korros）和滑鼠蛇（Ptyas mucosus）等15种重要经济蛇类。结论广东象头山国家级自然保护区蛇类物种多样性十分丰富,但长期过度猎捕和栖息地遭破坏导致保护区一些蛇类种群数量明显减少,需加强保护。本文针对保护区蛇类保护问题提出5点建议。     

我国的蛇类

阐述了蛇类的出现和发展,指出蛇和晰蜴的的主要区别。具体介绍了蛇亚目的主要要类群及我国蛇类的多样性,对我国１０种蛇的形态结构特点和分布进行了说明最后,提出保护蛇类的重要性。     

广州蛇市场调查初报

本文调查了广州市４个大中型蛇类交易市场和７０个蛇地摊的活蛇上市情况,估算了广州市郊区渔游蛇、中国水蛇种群数量和年增殖量,广州市每年消耗活蛇１４００３．７ｔ。     

江西武夷山国家级自然保护区蛇类物种资源调查初报

目的了解江西武夷山国家级自然保护区蛇类资源现状。方法 2014年7月22日~8月4日采用样线法对江西武夷山国家级自然保护区两栖爬行动物资源展开调查。结果本次调查记录蛇类动物14种,隶属1目3科12属,以游蛇科为主,占遇见蛇类物种总数的78.6%。大眼斜鳞蛇(Pseudoxenodon macrops)为江西省蛇类新纪录。调查过程中蛇的遇见率为0.88条/km,数量较多的福建竹叶青蛇、山溪后棱蛇和黄链蛇,遇见率分别为0.31条/km、0.24条/km和0.11条/km。结论江西武夷山国家级自然保护区福建竹叶青蛇、山溪后棱蛇和黄链蛇等常见种的数量较为丰富。     

中国独特生物,蛇中“大熊猫”——莽山烙铁头蛇研究与保护剪影

莽山烙铁头蛇是一种巨型毒蛇,也是我国独有的珍稀濒危蛇种,该蛇在蛇类演化中有着极其特殊的地位,有着无与伦比的生态价值和极高的学术研究价值。由于该蛇极其罕见珍贵,黑市价格从每条数百元暴涨至百万元,因此,有蛇中“大熊猫”之称的莽山烙铁头蛇再次引起人们的极大关注,对莽山烙铁头蛇采取抢救性的保护工作已刻不容缓。     

钝头蛇类系统学研究进展

钝头蛇类不同类群在外形、色斑及鳞被特征上有很高的相似度,关于其种属划分长期以来一直存在争议。本文根据已有文献资料及笔者自己的研究成果,主要从形态学和分子系统学方面叙述了钝头蛇类分类学的研究进展,从属以上、属级以及种级分类阶元叙述其研究历史及成果,主要进展如下:1整个亚洲食螺蛇类(钝头蛇类)构成一个科,即钝头蛇科(Pareatidae),而非隶属于游蛇科(Colubridae)的钝头蛇亚科(Pareatinae);2单楯蛇属(Aplopeltura)和弱钝头蛇属(Asthenodipsas)为有效属,最大的钝头蛇属(Pareas)理论上可进一步分为两个属,但需要更充分的分子系统学与形态学资料验证;3分子系统学研究结果提示台湾钝头蛇(P.formosensis)与中国钝头蛇(P.chinensis)不构成单系,应恢复后者的有效性;4综合分类学研究恢复了Asthenodipsas tropidonotus的有效性,并设立新种A.lasgalenensis。本文同时提出了钝头蛇类分类学研究中存在的主要问题,即中国钝头蛇种组(Pareas chinensis species group)的内部分类关系需进一步厘定。     

鲁西地区蛇类的分布格局

以山东聊城分布的7种蛇类作为研究对象,探讨了鲁西平原区蛇类的群落结构和分布格局.结果 表明,该区蛇类平均分布密度较高的是白条锦蛇Elaphe dione、赤链蛇Dinodon rufozonatum和虎斑颈槽蛇大陆亚种Rhabdophis tigrina lateralis.多数蛇类倾向于选择湿地周边、边缘富有灌草丛的农田区以及有丰富草被的居民区等为栖息地,该区蛇类的栖息地选择有着显著的不重叠性.     

本刊优先录用课题论文启事

为推动我国蛇毒、蛇伤及蛇类资源应用研究的发展,同时,为广大科技医务人员以及蛇类工作者提供一个学术交流和对外开放的平台,由中国蛇协主办、《蛇志》杂志社承办的中国蛇毒、蛇伤、蛇类资源开发应用学术研讨会,继续征集会议论文,欢迎各界人士踊跃投稿并参加研讨会。（会议的具体时间、地点另行通知）。     

关于举办蛇类驯养与蛇伤治疗培训班的通知

随着人们生活水平的提高,对蛇及蛇产品需求量日益增大,且蛇的价格持续攀升（目前眼镜蛇300元／公斤,水律蛇360元／公斤）,诱人的市场前景也刺激了养蛇业的蓬勃发展。人工养蛇不但有利于野生资源保护,也能促进资源可持续利用。尤其当前国家对野生蛇类的驯养繁殖已高度重视,国家林业局委托专家对蛇类产业进行调研,计划扶持和培养蛇类养殖产业。     

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.