植冠与土壤种子库储存种子的萌发特性及策略

为明确黄土丘陵沟壑区植物种子库如何调控种子萌发来提高个体适合度,选择研究区7种具有种子库的主要物种为研究对象,以刚成熟和室内储存种子为对照,比较植冠宿存(5个宿存期)和土壤埋藏(5a埋藏期)对植物种子萌发特性的影响,探讨植冠种子库与土壤种子库储存下的种子萌发策略。结果表明:7种植物种子经过不同种子库储存后萌发特性表现出明显的种间差异,黄刺玫(Rosa xanthina)和水栒子(Cotoneaster multiflorus)种子萌发力表现为植冠宿存不变型、土壤储存增强型,土壤储存明显提高水栒子种子萌发速率;达乌里胡枝子(Lespedeza davurica)和狼牙刺(Sophora davidii)种子萌发力表现为植冠宿存增强型、土壤储存减弱型,种子萌发历时表现为植冠宿存延长型,土壤种子库储存还可加快达乌里胡枝子萌发速率、缩短萌发历时;茭蒿(Artemisia giralaii)和铁杆蒿(Artemisia gmelinii),种子萌发率随植冠宿存时间先升高后降低,随土壤储存时间先降低后升高,土壤储存可推迟其萌发,铁杆蒿种子萌发速率在植冠与土壤储存后均加快;紫丁香(Syringa oblata)种子萌发率随植冠宿存先升高后降低,土壤储存明显加快其种子启动萌发与速率。在黄土丘陵沟壑区,植物种子经过植冠或土壤种子库储存,或增加、加快、提早萌发充分利用有利条件提高占据性,或减少、减缓、推迟萌发分摊不利条件的风险;而且该区植物植冠与土壤储存后种子萌发特性间的关系,体现各自适应环境与应对干扰的分工与协作策略,主要表现为:单一主导型和相辅相成型。     

植冠种子库及其生态意义研究

植冠种子库由成熟的种子宿存在植冠上形成。种子可在植物植冠中存留1～30年或者更长时间。40属木本植物中有1200种植物具有植冠种子库,它们大多分布在火灾易发区和干旱区。植冠种子库是植物繁殖对策的一个方面,具有延缓繁殖体传播、使繁殖体免受捕食、调节萌发时间、将种子降落在适宜位置等生态功能。本文对植冠种子库的概念、分类、具有植冠种子库物种的地理分布、植冠种子库的研究现状及植冠种子库研究中存在的问题进行了论述。应加强对干旱区植冠种子库种子脱落机制和沙漠地区植冠种子库生态意义的研究。     

伊犁河谷苦豆子植冠种子库特征

植物果实成熟后在植冠宿存延迟释放种子,是沙生生境植物的一种适应性性状。以分布于新疆霍城县荒漠草原内的野生苦豆子(Sophora alopecuroides L.)为研究对象,采用野外调查的方法,调查了野生苦豆子的植冠种子库的大小、种子活力、对土壤种子库的补充及其脱落动态。结果表明:在3月上旬,苦豆子植冠宿存种子的规模为271±124粒·m~(-2);其中,完整种子达144±138粒·m~(-2),构成了苦豆子的植冠种子库;对种皮进行机械破损后,植冠种子库的种子发芽率达76.98%±11.89%,种子活力指数保持在72.44±39.01;苦豆子生殖株植冠种子库种子宿存的时间长达9个月,可以在较长时间范围内有效补充土壤种子库,并与土壤种子库共同执行种群更新和群落演替的繁殖体供应库的功能。研究结果有助于了解苦豆子的繁殖生态学特性,解析其在伊犁河谷恶性蔓延的生物生态学机理,为伊犁河谷草原生态系统的科学管理提供理论支持。     

沙丘区植物植冠储藏种子的活力和萌发特征

研究了科尔沁沙地10种植物的植冠储藏(成熟后在植冠中保留至翌年5月)种子的活力及萌发特性.结果表明：典型沙生植物(流动沙丘及半固定沙丘植物)沙蓬、乌丹蒿和差巴嘎蒿的植冠储藏种子80%以上具有活力,而非典型沙生植物的植冠储藏种子有活力的不足80%,甚至在30%以下;典型沙生植物的植冠储藏种子表现出“速萌型”的萌发特征.植冠种子库使典型沙生植物种子的脱落延迟到风季结束、雨季来临的时候,而且此时的种子活力较高、萌发迅速.植冠种子库是典型沙生植物适应流沙和季节性干旱的主要方式之一.     

Effects of mosaic biological soil crusts on vascular plant establishment in a coastal saline land of the Yellow River Delta,China

黄河三角洲滨海盐碱地镶嵌式分布的生物土壤结皮对维管植物建植的影响 滨海盐碱地生物土壤结皮对维管植物影响研究,鲜见报道。本研究旨在探讨黄河三角洲滨海盐碱 地镶嵌式分布的生物土壤结皮是否以及如何影响两种典型草本植物的种子萌发,以深入理解基质异质性对 植物群落动态的影响。通过室内萌发实验,研究裸斑、芦苇(Phragmites australis)、碱蓬(Suaeda glauca) 和柽柳(Tamarix chinensis)生境下发育的生物土壤结皮和无结皮表土对多年生草本植物芦苇和一年生草本植物碱蓬种子的萌发率和平均萌发时间的影响,并从基质理化性质角度探讨其对种子萌发的影响机制。研究结果发现,与无结皮表土相比,生物土壤结皮提高了含水量、养分积累和大部分盐离子浓度,但降低了 土壤pH值。苔藓生物结皮可直接降低土壤pH值和Mg²⁺浓度,间接提高碱蓬种子的萌发率。较低的土壤pH值也间接降低了芦苇种子在其自身生境中的萌发速度。与有植被生长的生境相比,裸斑生境加剧Cl⁻的积累,间接降低了芦苇种子的萌发速度。结果表明,芦苇生境分布的苔藓结皮为碱蓬种子的萌发提供了一个机会窗口。生物土壤结皮类型和生境类型的共同作用可通过影响维管植物种子的萌发和建植,最终影响植物群落结构。     

成熟时间和干贮藏对两种木蓼种子萌发的影响

刺木蓼(Atraphaxis spinosa)和长枝木蓼(A.virgata)为蓼科木蓼属灌木,刺木蓼1a结果2次,分别于6月份和9月份成熟,而长枝木蓼果期较长,于10—11月份成熟。对2种木蓼不同成熟时间及干贮藏后的种子,进行萌发实验,结果表明:不同成熟时间的刺木蓼种子在30℃/20℃的萌发率高,长枝木蓼10月份成熟的种子在15℃/6℃的萌发率低,而11月份成熟的种子在15℃/6℃的萌发率最高。成熟早的刺木蓼种子较小,而长枝木蓼成熟晚的种子较小,不同成熟时间的2种木蓼种子均表现为,小种子的休眠程度低。刺木蓼不同成熟时间的种子在干贮藏的过程中,种子的萌发率先降低后增加。干贮藏明显提高了长枝木蓼种子在15℃/6℃的萌发率,尤其是10月份成熟的种子,10月份和11月份成熟的种子分别贮藏9个月和6个月后解除休眠。     

动物与红松天然更新关系的研究综述

红松球果成熟后,种子自身不能脱落到达适宜的萌发地,因而无法自身完成天然更新而要依赖动物帮助传播种子。捕食红松种子的动物包括啮齿类、鸟类和一些大型兽类。其中,松鼠、星雅和普通币鸟具有分散贮藏的行为,以前两者为重要。这些动物从球果中取出种子,吃掉一部分后,靠颊囊或舌下囊搬运至贮藏地,将种子埋藏在地被物下准备冬、春食物缺乏时再重新捕食。搬运的距离远达数百米至几公里。分散贮藏的贮点数量很大。每个贮点有一至数粒种子。贮点小生境比较适合红松种子的萌发,因此大量的未被重新发现和捕食的贮点的种子在20个月后可能萌发。虽然动物贮藏的生境适合幼苗的萌发,但是不一定适合幼苗的继续生长。由于动物的捕食和贮藏行为,阔叶红松林内红松种子运转途径在4个层次（树上、地面、地被物下和洞穴）进行,最后只有少数种子萌发为幼苗。幼苗的生长过程同样受到动物的捕食和破坏。由于红松结实的丰欠年度变化,动物种群也随之变动。     

不同海拔梯度糙皮桦和紫果云杉种子的萌发变异

对青藏高原东缘不同海拔梯度糙皮桦（Betula utilis）和紫果云杉（Picea purpurea）种子经低温贮藏后的萌发进行研究。结果表明: 1）糙皮桦和紫果云杉种子的萌发率和萌发速率随母体植株海拔的升高而增大;2）来自不同海拔的种群,种子的萌发率和萌发速率随低温贮藏时间的延长而增大,尤其是高海拔生境的糙皮桦种子经过较长时期的低温贮藏后（80或160 d,3 ℃～4 ℃）,萌发率达到最大（94%和90%）。说明海拔是造成种群间种子萌发能力差异的主要原因之一;不同时期的低温干燥贮藏也不同程度地影响种子的萌发行为,使生长在不同海拔梯度的种群能够通过调节种子的萌发时机降低幼苗建植的死亡风险,保障了物种延续。     

新疆短命植物小拟南芥(Arabidopsis pumila)种子萌发特性及其生态适应性

通过显微结构及不同处理条件下种子萌发率的观察,对早春短命植物小拟南芥(Arabidopsis pumila)种子萌发特性及影响因素进行了研究,并对其生态适应性进行了讨论。结果表明:(1)温度和光照变化对自然生境和温室收获种子的萌发率影响均不显著,说明此种群在前期萌发阶段对光、温不敏感;(2)自然生境中采收的小拟南芥种子萌发率显著低于温室收获种子,说明环境条件的变化对短命植物种子的发育具有重要作用,可显著改变种子的萌发行为;(3)赤霉素使自然生境收获种子胚活性增强从而对萌发有较大促进作用,可使萌发率增加50%以上;(4)对种皮进行各种机械损伤处理使得种皮松弛或透气,可以显著提高自然生境种子的萌发率(超过70%);(5)盐和干旱胁迫对种子萌发均具有明显的抑制作用,但复水后部分被抑制种子可重新萌发,显示盐和干旱胁迫可导致种子产生浅度休眠。结合小拟南芥自然生存环境及本研究的结果,显示其种子萌发特性与生境具有高度适应性。     

盐生植物角果碱蓬种子二型性对环境的适应策略

角果碱蓬(Suaeda corniculata)是藜科一年生盐生植物, 在我国分布于北方盐碱滩涂和盐碱荒漠地区。角果碱蓬具有棕色和黑色两种异型体种子(简称棕色和黑色种子)。对采自内蒙古鄂托克前旗盐渍化生境的角果碱蓬二型种子的形态、休眠和萌发特性开展对比研究, 测定了二型种子休眠和萌发行为对温度、光照和盐分(NaCl)的响应, 以揭示盐生植物异型种子对温带盐漠生境的适应对策。结果表明: (1)二型性种子在大小、种皮特性和结实比例方面有显著差异。与黑色种子相比, 棕色种子个体较大, 种皮透水性强。黑色种子与棕色种子的结实比例约为5.6 : 1。(2)新成熟的棕色种子的萌发对各温度梯度和光照条件不敏感, 萌发率较高(84%-100%); 而新成熟的黑色种子萌发率较低(8%-78%), 萌发对光照敏感。(3)黑色种子具有浅度生理休眠, 种皮划破、赤霉素处理和低温层积均可有效地提高种子的萌发率。(4)二型种子萌发对土壤盐分的胁迫具有不同的响应。与黑色种子相比, 棕色种子对盐分胁迫不敏感, 在较高的盐分浓度下仍有较高的萌发率, 低温层积处理能够降低黑色种子对盐胁迫的敏感性, 有效地提高种子的初始萌发率、萌发恢复率和最终萌发率。角果碱蓬二型种子不同的形态、休眠和萌发特性, 提高了该物种在高度异质性生境中的适合度, 对种群成功地适应温带盐漠环境具有重要的意义。     

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.