毒液主导的动物生存适应

捕食与防御是物种生态适应及生理生态学的核心内容.动物毒液系统是动物实施捕食与防御功能的典型"生化武器系统",对理解动物生态适应的生理学机制具有重要意义.各种有毒动物的毒素分子具有高度的结构和功能多样性.人们从有毒动物毒液中鉴定到了丰富多样的生物学活性,包括神经毒活性、酶活性、细胞毒活性、抗菌活性、凝集素活性、溶血活性、抗栓活性、凝血活性、免疫调节活性、酶类抑制剂活性、缓激肽增强活性和抗病毒活性等.有毒动物利用毒素的高亲和性和高选择性作用于细胞膜、离子通道、受体或酶影响神经系统、运动系统、心脑血管系统和免疫系统,从而实施快速、高效的捕食和防御.而捕食者为了捕食有毒动物,针对有毒动物的协同进化也一直在进行.本文对有毒动物捕食和防御的分子基础、药理学功能多样性和几类典型有毒动物的捕食和防御相关的适应机制进行了介绍.     

节肢动物田间捕食作用的研究方法

捕食性节肢动物是自然生态系统和农田生态系统中的重要组成部分,其种类和数量非常丰富,对其捕食作用的研家,无疑对了解和充分发挥捕食性节肢动物的自然控制作用具有重要的意义．评价捕食者在调节种群和群落结构方面的作用通常是困难的[1]。目前对节肢动物捕食作用的研究,一般多是在实验室内进行,而室内的条件与田间相差甚远,不能真实反映田间的捕食情况。在自然条件下通常存在多种捕食者和多种猎物,它们之间的关系极其复杂。因此,本文对节肢动物田间捕食作用的研究方法做一简要综述,以供参考。1直挂观宠法捕食作用的直接观察经常是…     

茉莉酸类物质在植物防御植食动物中的作用

就茉莉酸类物质的生物合成和代谢以及在防御植食节肢动物中的作用和JA信号的分子机制的研究进展进行了介绍。     

蛇毒合成调控机制和进化研究

蛇毒是一类组成复杂的生物毒素,不仅作为蛇捕食和防御的武器,还在促凝、抗凝、镇痛、戒毒、抗肿瘤等医药领域中得以使用,同时蛇毒还是科学家研究生物进化的良好模型。作者针对蛇毒组成的多样性、蛇毒合成的生物学机制以及蛇毒的生物演化进行简要综述。     

河豚毒素生态作用研究进展

河豚毒素(tetrodotoxin, TTX)取名于河豚鱼,最早从河豚鱼中分离纯化.自1964年河豚毒素化学结构被阐明以后,河豚毒素研究得到了生物学家、毒理学家、化学家、药理学家的广泛关注.河豚毒素具有许多天然同系物.河豚毒素及其同系物在自然界分布广泛,存在于一系列不同进化水平的海洋生物和少量的两栖动物体内.河豚毒素及其同系物可能具有防御、捕食及信息传递等生态作用,毒素在生物体内的分布与其生态作用密切相关.含有河豚毒素的生物对河豚毒素具有一定的耐受能力,其机制可能与生物体内存在河豚毒素结合蛋白或生物自身具有独特的钠离子通道结构有关.重点针对河豚毒素的生态作用及生物对河豚毒素的耐受机制进行了综述,以期为河豚毒素生态学研究及河豚毒素中毒事件的防范提供科学资料.     

基于网络药理学探讨丹参-丹皮配伍抗脑缺血损伤的作用机制

本文旨在通过网络药理学和分子对接方法探讨丹参-丹皮活性成分治疗脑卒中的潜在分子机制。首先基于中药系统药理学分析平台筛选丹参、丹皮的活性成分及其作用靶点,利用CTD、TTD和GeneCards数据库收集脑卒中相关靶点。然后将药物和疾病靶点取交集,借助STRING数据库获取靶点间相互作用关系,利用R语言的ClusterProfiler包对其进行生物功能和通路富集分析。最后,通过Cytoscape软件构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用和成分-靶点-通路网络图,并利用AutoDock Vina软件对网络中的关键靶点及对应成分进行分子对接验证。结果显示丹参-丹皮成分作用于脑卒中的靶点67个,GO分析显示其主要参与脂多糖应答,细菌来源的分子反应,氧化应激等生物学过程。KEGG通路富集共得到149条通路(P<0.05),主要涉及AGE-RAGE信号通路、IL-17信号通路、TNF信号通路等。分子对接结果显示,筛选的主要活性成分与其对应靶蛋白均具有较好的结合活性。综上,本研究通过网络药理学预测了丹参-丹皮治疗脑卒中可能的药效物质基础及其作用机制,为进一步挖掘其药效成分和临床扩大使用范围提供科学依据。     

防御素（Defensin）研究进展

防御素（Defensin）是近年来发现的广泛存在于动物和植物体内的一类阳离子抗菌活性肽。它们通常都是由２８－５４个氨基酸残基组成,分子内富含精氨酸和由半胱氨酸形成的分子内二硫键。它们具有广谱高效的杀菌活性,能有效地杀来革兰氏阳性菌、革半氏阴性菌、某些真菌、螺旋体、被膜病毒等微生物,因而对它们的研究已成为当前国际学术界中一个引人关注的研究热点。本文将简述有关防御素的分布、分子结构特征、生物学活性、作用机制、分子生物学特征等方面的研究概况及展望。     

防御素(Defensin)研究进展

防御素(Defensin)是近年来发现的广泛存在于动物和植物体内的一类阳离子抗菌活性肽。它们通常都是由28～54个氨基酸残基组成,分子内富含精氨酸和由半胱氨酸形成的分子内二硫键。它们具有广谱高效的杀菌活性,能有效地杀灭革兰氏阳性菌、革兰氏阴性菌、某些真菌、螺旋体、被膜病毒等微生物,因而对它们的研究已成为当前国际学术界中一个引人关注的研究热点。本文将简述有关防御素的分布、分子结构特征、生物学活性、作用机制、分子生物学特征等方面的研究概况及展望。     

基于分子对接和系统药理学小青龙汤治疗哮喘的作用机制

为从分子层面阐述小青龙汤治疗哮喘的作用机制,探索小青龙汤的潜在靶标,本研究检索中药系统药理学数据库及分析平台(TCMSP)并根据口服生物利用度(oralbioavailability,OB)、药物相似性(drug-likeness,DL)筛选出小青龙汤的活性成分,利用Pharmmapper数据库筛选小青龙汤潜在作用靶点,挖掘CTD、Genecards数据库以筛选与哮喘相关的作用靶点,利用Cytoscape 3.6.1软件构建小青龙汤的蛋白互作网络图、化合物靶点图,并通过计算拓扑学参数找到小青龙汤中关键的作用靶点和化合物。对小青龙汤对哮喘的作用靶点进行GO分析和KEGG分析。利用iGEMDOCK软件进行分子对接,预测作用靶点和主要化合物的结合度。通过筛选得到小青龙汤活性成分、潜在作用靶点;GO分析得到43个生物学过程、11个细胞组成和9个分子功能;KEGG分析包括PI3K-Akt信号通路、HIF-1信号通路、Wnt信号通路等。初步验证和预测了小青龙汤对治疗哮喘的作用机制,并为进一步深入揭示其作用机制提供参考。     

寒武纪大附肢节肢动物的起源和进化机制分析

在节肢动物早期演化阶段 ,前附肢的演化是提高动物感觉和捕食能力的重要事件。化石和发育生物学实验结果表明节肢动物前附肢 (即口前附肢 )的原型为短棒形触角 ,在此基础上分别演化为长鞭形触角和腿肢形大附肢 ;大附肢与螯肢形态相似 ,为同源构造 ,因此寒武纪大附肢类群可能是现生螯肢类的干支类群。文中结合发育生物学研究进展分析节肢动物演化早期大附肢产生可能的分子进化机制。认为腿肢形大附肢的发生可能与Hox基因或其它未知发育调控因子参与触角或者附肢原型的发育有关 ,从而改变原有前附肢发育中Dll基因、dac基因和hth基因间特异的相互作用 ,导致前附肢获得腿肢特异性发育程序。     

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.