入侵植物的繁殖策略以及对本土植物繁殖的影响

理解入侵生物的繁殖策略是阐明生物入侵机制的一个重要方面。入侵植物常表现出一些共同的繁殖特征,如以两性花为主的性系统、自动自交为主的繁育系统或不依赖传粉媒介的无融合生殖和无性繁殖以及高生殖投资的资源配置策略等。成功入侵的外来植物通过影响本土的传粉者,在种群和群落水平上影响本土植物的有性繁殖,甚至促使某些本土植物在繁殖对策和表型性状上发生快速转变。目前,入侵植物繁殖策略及其生态效应的研究多侧重于入侵种的快速演化,而有关外来植物与本土植物间的相互影响及其可能存在的协同适应研究还较为缺乏。探讨本土植物在外来种入侵压力下的繁殖对策和响应机制,将丰富人们对物种间竞争、共存及群落构建等机制的深入了解。从繁殖和适应的角度探求入侵植物与本土植物之间的复杂关系,将有助于解析生物入侵的机制及人类干扰下的物种演化规律,也为预测和防控入侵植物提供科学依据。     

海南岛外来植物入侵风险评价指标体系

基于海南岛生物入侵防控及外来物种管理的需求,对海南外来入侵植物的种类、分布情况和危害现状进行了调查。调查发现,目前海南受外来植物入侵影响较重,外来入侵植物共约160种,隶属于38个科。构建了适应于海南当地生态环境特点与经济社会发展的外来植物风险评估指标体系,该指标体系共分3级,包括5个一级指标,和相应的12个二级指标,42个三级指标,采用层次分析法确定了体系各级指标的权重。对海南50种常见的主要外来入侵植物进行了风险评估,并按照评估结果将外来入侵植物划分为不同风险等级,提出相应的管理策略。外来入侵生物风险评估体系可被作为管理部门制定早期预警和决策措施的重要工具,通过风险评估与风险管理,建立一套应对海南外来生物入侵的快速反应体系,为外来生物入侵的防范和生态安全提供保障。     

外来种对生物多样性的影响及其控制

外来种是那些借助自身力量或其它外界力量传播到其未曾分布过的地域 ,并且能进行繁殖传播的生物。外来种入侵已成为一种引人关注的现象。外来种通过竞争、捕食、牧食、改变生境和传播疾病等方式对本地生物产生威胁 ,影响本地生物多样性。外来种入侵成了生物多样性丧失的两个主要影响之一 (另一影响是生境的破坏 )。因此 ,探寻阻止或减少外来种入侵的方法很有必要。目前 ,人们运用机械法、化学法和生物控制法来控制外来种。在外来种入侵的初始阶段或外来种数量不多时 ,运用机械法较好。化学法有带来新环境污染的危险。生物控制法是应用天敌来防治或消灭有害生物。在外来种的控制上 ,生物控制法有一些成功的案例 ,但它并不是万能的。有些生物控制剂可能对非目标种产生影响 ,这要求在释放前对生物控制剂作更严格的检测。     

加拿大一枝黄花的入侵机理研究进展

我国是世界上遭受外来生物入侵最为严重的国家之一。加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis L.)是一种世界性的入侵植物,侵入我国已有70多年的历史,目前国内外对其入侵机理已有许多研究。结合近年来的研究热点和重要进展,从加拿大一枝黄花的生物学特点、入侵地环境的可入侵性、化感效应以及植物与土壤的反馈作用等4个方面综述了其成功入侵的机理,分析和评价了各种机理之间的内在联系。认为生物入侵是一个涉及多个营养级的复杂生物学过程,是多种机制综合作用的结果,人类活动的干扰是入侵事件频发的深层次原因。加拿大一枝黄花强大的入侵能力、高度的抗逆性、对本地植物和土传病原菌的化感抑制、入侵地环境的脆弱性以及菌根真菌等有益微生物的协助在入侵过程中起着关键作用,但天敌释放并未使其获得更大竞争优势。     

天然杂交与遗传渐渗对植物入侵性的影响

生物入侵给全球生态环境与社会经济都带来了严重危害,对其入侵机制的研究非常重要.生物入侵是一个适应性进化的过程,天然杂交与遗传渐渗可以改变外来物种对环境的适应性并提高其入侵能力,使其进化成为入侵种.因此了解杂交-渐渗在促进生物入侵过程中的遗传作用,将有助于我们采取有效措施来控制生物入侵及其危害.本文从杂交-渐渗对生物适应性进化和物种形成影响的角度,阐明外来种如何通过杂交-渐渗在新的生境中改变其适应性、生存竞争能力和入侵能力.杂交-渐渗可以导致物种发生多倍体水平和同倍体水平的进化,虽然二者的进化过程不尽相同,但均能使杂种群体在遗传上产生较大变化,进而影响杂种群体的适合度,这一过程可能促使外来种在新的生境中的成功入侵进而转变为入侵种.随着转基因生物技术的迅速发展,大量转基因作物进入环境释放和商品化种植,具有特定功能的转基因可能通过杂交-渐渗进入野生近缘种群体,也可能使之成为入侵性强的农田杂草,带来难以预测的生态后果.总之,生物入侵是一个复杂的进化和生态过程,利用杂交-渐渗的理论来解释植物的入侵性,仅从一个方面反映了入侵生物学的研究,杂交-渐渗与其他理论的结合,将从更深的层次来解释外来种的入侵机制.     

生物入侵的危害与防治对策

生物入侵是一个世界范围的生态学现象。入侵种通过竞争、捕食、改变生境和传播疾病等方式对本地种及其系统产生影响。生物入侵的危害表现为：造成巨大的经济损失,仅美国每年因外来种入侵造成的经济损失近1370亿美元;威胁到人类的健康和生存。成千上万的人被外来种传染疾病以致死亡;引起严重的社会恐慌和动荡,人们寝食不安;改变了生态系统的结构和功能,全球自然灾害频频爆发;导致生物多样性的急剧下降,威胁到子孙后代的生存和发展。防治生物入侵有3条途径：实行全面检疫,阻止外来种的偶然入侵;采取全面的生态评估和监测,防范引进品种的入侵灾难;对已入侵的外来种采用机械法、化学法和生物防治法进行根除和控制,应用生物防治法、筛选天敌和对其进行危害评估时要特别慎重。     

中国外来入侵植物研究现状及存在的问题

生物入侵是当今各国发展的一大挑战,特别是像中国这样的发展中国家。然而,我们对外来入侵种的本底资料还很不清楚,更缺乏相关的深入调查;对生物入侵所造成的生态和经济影响还没有引起足够的重视,同时也忽视了盲目引种可能带来的各种危害。本文在文献调研的基础上,从外来植物的入侵历史和文化、中国外来入侵植物的调查现状、外来植物入侵对生态安全及经济的影响等方面进行了全面系统的总结,并提出了中国外来入侵植物研究领域存在的问题及应对措施。     

湖北省外来入侵生物及其与社会经济活动的关系

采用实地调查和查阅文献的方法,系统地研究了湖北省外来入侵生物的发生概况,分析了其传入途径及其与人类活动的关系。结果表明,当前湖北省共有外来入侵物种163种。其中,植物病原微生物14种,水生杂草3种,陆生杂草101种,水生无脊椎动物2种,陆生无脊椎动物17种,两栖爬行类3种,鱼类18种,哺乳类5种。在外来入侵杂草中,菊科最多（32种）,占总数的30.8%;禾本科次之（11种）;豆科排第3位（10种）。外来生物入侵湖北省的主要途径有2类：（1）有目的引进,占入侵物种总数的53.4%;（2）无意带入,占入侵物种总数的46.6%。1990-2009年,湖北省的外来入侵物种数随该省的GDP、入境旅游人数、进出口总额和交通密度的增加而明显上升。因此,在大力发展经济的同时,有必要进一步加强引种监管,严格执行检疫措施,以防止新的外来生物入侵。同时,需开展外来入侵生物的防控技术研究,以遏制已入侵物种的传播蔓延,控制其危害。     

厦门市外来物种入侵现状及其风险评价指标体系

通过对厦门地区外来物种入侵状况的实地调查,对已有文献资料的查阅和专家咨询,整理了厦门市已入侵或值得警惕的外来植物名录。并从气候、土壤、植被生态群落结构、地貌特征、人为和自然干扰状况以及港口交通贸易等方面分析了厦门市外来生物入侵现状的原因。结合前人在外来生物入侵的风险评价方面的研究成果,针对厦门市的外来植物入侵现状,构建了适应厦门地区外来植物入侵风险评价指标体系框架,该指标体系由“移居与建群的可能性”、“危害与影响”和“预防与控制”3大部分,共计6个一级指标,17个二级指标构成。     

新书介绍

生物入侵:中国外来入侵植物图谱(编著者:万方浩,刘全儒,谢明等)内容提要:本书为"生物入侵:中国外来入侵物种"系列图鉴之一。共收录了142种重要的入侵植物,介绍了入侵植物的学名、英文名、中文异名、形态特征、识别要点、生境及危害、控制措施、中国分     

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.