影响黄帚橐吾种子生产的因素Ⅰ.生境和花序结构

 通过对黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)自然种群在不同生境和种群密度下的种子生产的研究,结果显示：1）黄帚橐吾的种子生产无论是在种群水平,还是在总花序上同一部位头状花序水平,均受到生境条件的影响,其种子数量、种子均重和种子总重量等特征在不同生境间表现出沙地＞滩地＞坡地,在同一生境内则为高密度种群＞低密度种群和植被盖度较低＞植被盖度较高的趋势（滩地例外）;2）种子生产中的种子数量和种子总重与总花序大小、头状花序数量以及无性系株大小多呈显著正相关,与个体密度无关,但种子均重与上述因素（除无性系株大小外）的关系不显著;3）在总花序内不同部位头状花序间表现出的种子生产变化趋势（顶部＞基部）不受生境条件、种群密度等因素的影响; 4）种子生产在总花序上所表现出的这种部位依赖性可能是由于不同部位头状花序间开花时序上的差异引起种子从母体获取资源上的不同所致。     

不同生境下黄帚橐吾（Ligularia Virgaurea）个体大小依赖的繁殖分配

 研究了不同生境和密度下黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)个体大小依赖的繁殖分配。结果表明无论在种群水平还是在个体水平上,黄帚橐吾都表现出：1) 在不同的生境和种群密度中,个体大小与繁殖体大小均不相同,其排列顺序依次为沙地＞坡地＞滩地、裸地＞非裸地、低密度＞高密度;2) 繁殖分配和单株种子均重在不同生境和种群密度中,其差异程度均从不显著(p>0.05)到极显著(p<0.01)不等;3) 繁殖体大小与个体大小在不同生境和种群密度中均呈极显著的正相关关系(p<0.01);4) 单株种子均重与个体     

黄帚橐吾花序结构的资源配置与环境的关系

 为了系统地了解黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea) 自然种群的繁殖对策,在其繁殖分配研究的基础上,通过统计不同部位头状花序的生物量投入,进一步分析了存在于总状花序内资源分配上的结构效应及其对不同生境条件的反应。结果表明：1）总状花序、不同部位头状花序在资源投入上受其栖息生境各种生态因子的影响而在不同生境和平均种群密度间存在着差异,并表现出一定的趋势;2）可代表个体水平的总状花序大小、头状花序大小、头状花序数量和头状花序平均重量等特征,都与种群密度呈现出程度不同的负相关关系,而总状花序内不同部位的头状花序大小则与种群密度变化无关;3）总状花序内的资源分配存在着位置依赖性,这种显著差异表现为顶部头状花序比基部和中部头状花序有较大的资源分配;4）总状花序顶部、中部和基部头状花序的资源分配与总状花序大小表现出极显著或显著的负相关关系。     

Effects of the spreading of Ligularia virgaurea on soil physicochemical property and microbial functional diversity

黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)是高寒草甸退化的指示物种, 其种群扩张已严重影响了草地生态系统的经济服务功能, 但目前仍不明确土壤微生物是否参与了黄帚橐吾的种群扩张。该研究依托兰州大学高寒草甸试验站, 选择了4个不同密度的黄帚橐吾斑块, 分析了黄帚橐吾种群扩张对该草甸土壤微生物功能多样性的影响。结果显示: 黄帚橐吾种群扩张虽然提高了土壤微生物活性, 但降低了土壤速效氮浓度。各斑块间土壤微生物Shannon指数、碳源利用种类、均一度指数均无显著差异, 但高密度斑块的土壤微生物碳源利用结构与对照斑块有显著差异。表明黄帚橐吾分布地土壤微生物功能多样性的改变所引起的土壤氮素限制是黄帚橐吾种群数量急剧增加的机制之一。     

黄帚橐吾种群扩张对土壤理化特性与微生物功能多样性的影响

黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)是高寒草甸退化的指示物种, 其种群扩张已严重影响了草地生态系统的经济服务功能, 但目前仍不明确土壤微生物是否参与了黄帚橐吾的种群扩张。该研究依托兰州大学高寒草甸试验站, 选择了4个不同密度的黄帚橐吾斑块, 分析了黄帚橐吾种群扩张对该草甸土壤微生物功能多样性的影响。结果显示: 黄帚橐吾种群扩张虽然提高了土壤微生物活性, 但降低了土壤速效氮浓度。各斑块间土壤微生物Shannon指数、碳源利用种类、均一度指数均无显著差异, 但高密度斑块的土壤微生物碳源利用结构与对照斑块有显著差异。表明黄帚橐吾分布地土壤微生物功能多样性的改变所引起的土壤氮素限制是黄帚橐吾种群数量急剧增加的机制之一。     

黄帚橐吾种子生产的花序位置效应及其对幼苗建植的影响

关于开花植物花序内变异原因的研究有很多,而关于花序内资源分配的位置效应产生影响的研究并不常见。通过对青藏高原高寒草甸退化草地一种花序轴基向发育的优势毒杂草黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)的野外调查和方差分析发现,其种子生产存在显著的位置效应。结实率和种子平均重表现出顶部头状花序基部头状花序的变化趋势,胚珠平均数则基部顶部,而中部种子平均数最多。通过室内萌发实验和野外盆栽实验研究了位置效应对幼苗建植能力的影响,发现基部种子的萌发开始时间比顶部种子早,萌发率和出苗率在部位间的差异不显著,而部位间幼苗存活率表现一致;幼苗的根冠比和光合速率表现出顶部基部的变化趋势,而幼苗总生物量的差异不显著,这些幼苗特性在两种肥力条件下表现一致,这说明不同花序部位种子的差异是该种植物所固有的特征,且部位间种子的萌发和幼苗生长对策不同。但相对于基部种子,顶部种子扩散距离更远,拓展到新生境的能力更强,相对较高的幼苗根冠比和净光合速率增强了其幼苗建植能力,对自然种群的更新补充有着更重要的生态学意义,对扩大种群和植被更新有更大的贡献。     

典型黄帚橐吾型退化草地形成过程中土壤和植被特征

为深入了解典型毒草型退化草地形成的过程，本文对青藏高原原生草地上黄帚橐吾逐渐扩张形成典型毒草型退化草地过程中植被和土壤特征进行研究。结果表明：黄帚橐吾型退化草地形成过程中，黄帚橐吾种群密度、株高、盖度和生物量均增加；相比原生草地，退化草地的总地上生物量增加113.9%,土壤全氮、铵态氮、有机碳和速效磷含量分别增加61.0%、77.9%、45.3%和78.8%,土壤微生物生物量碳、氮分别增加42.1%和47.4%,而土壤硝态氮含量和物种丰富度分别减少40.1%和28.5%,除黄帚橐吾以外其他植物的生物量减少45.7%。黄帚橐吾极强的种间抑制能力、形态可塑性、高效的养分蓄积能力和利用效率是其成功扩张的关键，促进了黄帚橐吾型退化草地的形成。     

高寒草场优势杂草黄帚橐吾水浸液对牧草的化感作用

研究了高寒草场中主要毒杂草——黄帚橐吾水浸液对同域分布的5种牧草的化感作用.将反应指数(RI)相加平均后分为一、二、三级敏感指数,分别评价不同测定指标、不同发育期和物种水平对化感作用的敏感性;从供体角度对相应RI值做同样处理,以综合评价不同水浸液及其不同浓度的化感效应.结果表明,5种牧草对黄帚橐吾化感作用的敏感性从强到弱依次为早熟禾>大雀麦>中华羊茅>羊茅>垂穗披碱草;牧草种子萌发期的敏感性强于幼苗生长期,尤以萌发指数受化感作用的影响明显.黄帚橐吾根、叶水浸液对牧草生物测定结果大多达到显著差异水平,物种水平的化感效应均表现为抑制作用,说明雨水淋溶是黄帚橐吾向环境中释放化感物质的途径之一.黄帚橐吾根部化感效应强于叶片,可能与其地下种间激烈的资源竞争有关.化感作用在增强黄帚橐吾生存竞争力、扩大种群和入侵草场中起着不容忽视的作用,可能是黄帚橐吾单优势种群落形成和草场退化的原因之一.     

密度制约下尕海湿地黄帚橐吾叶绿素与叶面积、叶厚度间的关系

密度制约下植物叶性状间的关系,对于认识植物叶片的物理构建与生理代谢的关系具有重要的意义。本研究采用标准化主轴估计分析方法,按黄帚橐吾(Liguaria virgaurea)种群数设置I(171～240株·m~(-2))、II(101～170株·m~(-2))和III(30～100株·m~(-2))3个密度,分析了尕海湿地不同种群密度黄帚橐吾叶绿素含量与叶面积、叶厚度的关系。结果表明:随着黄帚橐吾种群密度的降低,湿地群落的密度呈先减小后增大的U型趋势、盖度逐渐降低、高度和土壤水分逐渐增加,黄帚橐吾的叶面积和叶绿素含量逐渐增加、叶厚度和群落内部光合有效辐射逐渐减小、净光合速率和蒸腾速率呈先减小后增大的U型趋势;叶绿素含量与叶面积呈显著负相关(P0.05)、与叶厚度呈显著正相关(P0.05)。生长在高密度湿地的黄帚橐吾选择增加叶绿素含量且构建小而厚的叶片,在低密度湿地选择减少叶绿素含量且构建大而薄的叶片,反映了植物适应光照条件等异质性环境因子的资源利用策略和光合产物积累模式。     

不同养分条件下和不同生境类型中根茎草本黄帚橐吾的克隆生长

 对多年生植物黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)在不同氮肥梯度和不同生境类型中的克隆生长行为进行研究。结果表明：1)资源水平与群落性质影响着间隔子(Spacer)长度的变化,氮肥处理使之明显变短;自然群落中的间隔子长度远远长于人工群落,说明黄帚橐吾间隔子具有很强的形态可塑性,能对资源水平和生境优劣作出反应。2)分枝强度(Branching intensity)具有随资源水平的增高而上升的趋势,表明无性系分株(Ramet)的形成和生长受环境资源状况和源株(Genet)生长状况的影响;3)黄帚橐吾的分枝角度为0˚或180˚,资源水平与环境差异对其影响不大,可塑性低;4)环境资源贫乏或植株比较拥挤时,黄帚橐吾个体根系资源分配比例加大,说明黄帚橐吾的资源分配(Resource allocation)模式更多地受环境资源条件和群落性质的影响。     

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.