青藏高原特有植物青海当归的谱系地理学初探

为探讨第四纪冰期气候波动对青藏高原多年生草本植物青海当归地理分布格局形成的影响,检测了青海当归16个居群147个个体的核糖体内转录间隔区(ITS)的序列变异,共发现了7个单倍型.结果表明除松潘居群外其余15个居群都拥有单倍型H1,青藏高原边缘的居群拥有6种ITS单倍型,其中5种为私有单倍型.谱系关系分析显示单倍型H1为较古老的单倍型,AMOVA分析表明,居群间的变异占了总变异量的67％,居群遗传分化显著,并且存在较明显的谱系地理结构(NST＞GST,P＜0.05).我们认为青海当归在第四纪冰期最大一次冰期来临时退缩到青藏高原边缘的避难所,冰期后在扩张过程中经历了奠基者效应形成了如今的分布格局.     

青藏高原东北部及其邻近地区无苞香蒲的谱系地理学

第四纪冰期气候的反复变化对青藏高原及邻近地区植物的种群地理分布及种群遗传结构产生了巨大的影响。本研究对青藏高原东北部及其邻近地区无苞香蒲(Typha laxmannii)的15个种群148个个体的叶绿体rpl32-trnL间隔区和核基因(植物螯合肽合成酶, PS)进行测序, 共发现2个叶绿体单倍型和8个核基因单倍型。所有的单倍型被共享, 高原种群没有特有的单倍型。邻近地区种群的叶绿体遗传多样性和核基因遗传多样性分别是高原种群的4倍和2倍。高原种群的遗传分化水平明显高于邻近地区种群, 其中高原种群的遗传分化主要存在于东部种群与西部种群之间。研究结果表明, 冰期后从多个避难所回迁至高原台面和由此产生的奠基者效应造成了无苞香蒲在青藏高原东北及邻近地区目前的遗传多样性和基因谱系地理分布格局。     

高原鼢鼠线粒体谱系地理学和遗传多样性

高原鼢鼠是一类地下独居啮齿动物,为青藏高原特有种之一。为研究该物种的谱系地理学和遗传多样性,本文测定了采自青藏高原东部3个地理种群8个小种群共37个个体的线粒体D-loop区序列变异。在长度为627bp的序列中,共发现50个变异位点,定义了26种单倍型。该物种的单倍型多样性（Haplotype diversity,H）较高和核苷酸多样性（Nucleotide diversity,πn）较低。谱系分析得到3个稳定的分支,分别与采集的地理种群相吻合：同一地理种群内单倍型之间遗传差异小,而不同地理来源的单倍型之间存在较大区别。距离隔离分析表明高原鼢鼠的遗传分化与地理距离呈正相关。AMOVA分析同样表明地理种群之间存在显著差异：地理种群间变异占遗传变异的80.45%。高原鼢鼠的这种遗传结构特点可能主要是由于第四纪气候变迁、该物种稳定的地下生活环境和有限的迁移能力造成的。     

大石鸡边缘种群的遗传结构

大石鸡（Alectoris magna）分布于青海西部、东部,甘肃中部和宁夏西部的干部和半干旱区,由于环境变化,其种群向甘肃南部森林被砍伐的地区扩散,形成涟缘种群。本研究采用聚合酶链式反应（PCR）和直接测序的方法获得了采自甘肃的大石鸡一个边缘种群和两个中心地理种群共39个个体的线粒体DNA（mtDNA）控制区基因（D－loop）456－457个核苷酸的基因序列,16个变异位点（占整个序列的3.5%）有15个单倍型。边缘扩散种群有3种单倍型,M6与另两个种群共有,单倍型频率为0.108,而M4和M5为其特有,单倍型频率分别为0.081和0.027。边缘种群的单倍型比率和遗传多样性分别为37.5%和0.549。中心地理种群1和种群2各有7个单倍型,除M6炳种群共有,其余为自所特有,单倍型比率分别为46.7%和50.0%,遗传多样性分别是0.729和0.786。边缘种群的单倍型比率和遗传多样性均低于中心地理种群。     

叉尾斗鱼种群遗传变异与亲缘地理

通过分析采自珠江、鉴江、漠阳江、赣江、韩江、黄冈河、九龙江和闽江8个流域23个采样点121尾叉尾斗鱼mtDNA控制区3'端和临近序列共400bp,研究其种群遗传变异和亲缘地理格局。所分析序列只有13个变异位点,共有11个单倍型,碱基序列总的单倍型多样性为0.576,核苷酸多样性为0.00818,均较低。珠江流域存在群体内独有单倍型,有两个广布单倍型H1和H2,分别占所有样品的19%和62%。最小进化网络图显示单倍型没有明显的亲缘地理格局,呈星状发散,H1和H2处于中心。AMOVA分析显示变异主要来自地理区内群体间,歧点分布和中性检测显示叉尾斗鱼并未经历种群扩张。结果表明叉尾斗鱼种群遗传多样性很低且存在地理差异;各流域个体呈混杂分布格局,现有群体可能在珠江流域有东西两个起源;推测种群最近经历严重瓶颈效应。     

云杉矮槲寄生遗传多样性及其群体遗传结构分析

该研究采用CTAB法提取云杉矮槲寄生(Arceuthobium sichuanense)的基因组DNA,利用ITS1片段的序列信息对中国9个不同地理群体的62份云杉矮槲寄生样本的遗传多样性及群体遗传结构进行分析。结果表明:(1)62条ITS1序列共定义16个单倍型(H1~H16),表现出较低的遗传多样性水平(h=0.678 5,π=0.005 9),而群体间的遗传多样性水平则表现出较大差异(h=0~1.000 0,π=0~0.009 4);AMOVA分析显示云杉矮槲寄生群体内的遗传变异占到51.37%,群体间为48.63%。(2)Network单倍型网络分析表明,单倍型H1和H12较为古老,且所有群体对2种单倍型无共享现象;单倍型H1是广布单倍型,存在于青海和甘肃的6个群体中,单倍型H12仅在四川的2个群体中有分布。(3)基于最大似然法(ML)构建的群体聚类和中介邻接法构建的单倍型网络图均显示,四川的3个群体为独立类群,区别于青海、甘肃群体,且甘肃和青海的群体之间没有明显分化。该研究首次报道了云杉矮槲寄生遗传多样性和遗传结构,为进一步研究其进化及后续的病害防控提供了一定的参考。     

基于线粒体控制区序列的黄河上游厚唇裸重唇鱼种群遗传结构

采集黄河上游厚唇裸重唇鱼(Gymnodiptychus pachycheilus)甘肃玛曲群体,测定其线粒体DNA控制区序列,并从GenBank中下载青海玛多和贵德等3地2个群体的同源序列,分析该物种的遗传多样性、遗传结构及其演化历史.从81条729 bp序列中,检测到26个变异位点(占3.57％),碱基序列总的单倍型多样性为0.844,核苷酸多样性为0.0054,界定了34个单倍型,有1个广布单倍型H2,占所有样品的38.27％.单倍型网络图图显示单倍型没有明显的亲缘地理格局,H2处于中心,呈星状发散,系统发育分析没有显示出单倍型与地理位置的对应关系.AMOVA分析显示变异主要来自地理区内群体间,歧点分布和中性检测显示厚唇裸重唇鱼近期经历了种群扩张.分析表明黄河上游3地种厚唇裸重唇鱼种群未出现分化,建议应作为一个整体进行保护.     

中国狼不同地理种群遗传多样性及系统进化分析

为了解中国狼不同地理种群遗传多样性及系统发育情况,从中国境内狼的主要分布区青海、新疆、内蒙古和吉林4个地区采集样品,用分子生物学技术手段成功地获得44个个体线粒体DNA控制区第一高变区(HVRⅠ)序列和40个线粒体Cyt b部分序列。线粒体控制区HVRⅠ共检测到51个变异位点,位点变异率为8.76%;线粒体Cyt b部分序列发现31个变异位点,位点变异率为5.33%,未见插入及缺失现象,变异类型全部为碱基置换。共定义了16个线粒体HVRⅠ单倍型,其中吉林与内蒙种群存在共享单倍型,估计这两地间种群亲缘关系较近。4个地理种群中新疆种群拥有较高的遗传多样性(0.94)。中国狼种群总体平均核苷酸多态性为2.27%,与世界其他国家地区相比,中国狼种群拥有相对较高的遗传多样性。通过线粒体HVRⅠ单倍型构建的系统进化树可以看出,中国狼在进化上分为2大支,其中位于青藏高原的青海种群独立为一支,推测其可能长期作为独立种群进化。基于青海种群与新疆,内蒙种群的线粒体Cyt b遗传距离,推测中国狼2个世系可能在更新世冰川时期青藏高原受地质作用急速隆起后出现分歧,分歧时间大约在1.1 MY前。     

基于叶绿体DNA trnT-trnF序列研究祁连圆柏的谱系地理学

由于青藏高原的地貌效应,第四纪冰期气候的反复变化应对现今该地区生物的地理分布及其居群遗传结构产生重大影响。本文对这一地区特有分布物种祁连圆柏Juniperus przewalskii Kom.整个分布区内20居群392个个体的trnT-trnF序列变化进行了研究;共发现3种单倍型(haplotype),构成两种地理区域:高原台面上的居群主要固定Hap A,而Hap A、Hap B和Hap C在高原边缘居群均有分布。所有居群总的遗传多样性HT = 0.511,GST= 0.847。在低海拔的高原边缘,Hap A、Hap B和Hap C高频率固定在不同的居群中,表明可能存在多个不同的避难所,居群反复缩小和扩张的瓶颈效应造成了遗传多样性的丢失。而边缘的一个居群含有两种相似单倍型频率则可能是冰期后迁移融合而成或者该居群在冰期经受的瓶颈作用更弱。高原台面东部间断分布的居群只固定Hap A,表明它们可能经历了冰期后共同的回迁过程和由此产生的奠基者效应。我们的研究结果表明祁连圆柏在冰期可能存在多个避难所,瓶颈效应和奠基者效应造成了这些居群现在的遗传多样性分布式样。     

基于线粒体控制区的序列变异分析青海东部甘肃鼢鼠遗传多样性

甘肃鼢鼠(Myospalax cansus)是一种终年营地下独居生活的小型掘土类动物。本文通过测定mt DNA的控制区部分序列(530 bp)变异,分析青海东部地区8个甘肃鼢鼠地理种群遗传多样性与遗传结构。158个样本共发现26个变异位点,定义了39种单倍型,整体的平均单倍型多样性高(h=0.953 2)、核苷酸多样性低(π=0.006 36)。歧点分布和中性检验均说明青海东部甘肃鼢鼠种群在历史上存在着快速扩张的事件。基于邻接法构建的网络关系图中,单倍型呈星状分布,没有按地理位置形成对应类群。基因流(Nm)数据显示多数地理种群间基因交流贫乏,AMOVA结果显示种群内与种群间遗传变异分别为48.82%和51.18%,遗传分化明显。IBD分析表明,甘肃鼢鼠的遗传分化与地理距离呈正相关,说明距离隔离对甘肃鼢鼠种群分化具有重要作用。甘肃鼢鼠的这种遗传多样性与种群遗传结构特点,可能是地下生活方式靠挖掘迁移带来的较小扩散能力的结果。     

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.