湖北省泽泻科、水鳖科、眼子菜科及茨藻科植物花粉形态研究

本文利用光镜及扫描电镜对湖北省泽泻科、水鳖科、眼子菜科及茨藻科11属29种1变种1变型植物(另加采于湛江的软骨草)的花粉形态进行了研究,发现泽泻科植物花粉具多个圆形萌发孔,外壁表面为小刺状纹饰;茨藻科植物花粉具远极单槽,表面为绉波状纹饰;眼子菜科及本文研究的水鳖科植物花粉均无萌发孔,分别具网状和小刺状饰纹饰。1.茨藻科植物花粉最原始,泽泻科花粉较进化,眼子菜科花粉较水鳖科花粉进化;2.泽泻属与泽苔草属花粉较慈姑属花粉原始;3.鞘叶眼子菜亚屈花粉较眼子菜亚属的花粉处于更高演化阶段;4.多孔茨藻花粉在该科中最原始。本文工作尚对易变形水生植物花粉形态研究方法进行了尝试。     

猕猴桃科的花粉形态及其系统位置的探讨

本文作者用光学显微镜和扫描电镜(少数种类用透射电镜)对猕猴桃科Actinidia- ceae(按照Cronquist 1981和Dahlgren 1983的概念)的猕猴桃属Actinidia(15种)、藤山柳 属Clematoclethra(5种)和水东哥属Saurauia(3种)植物的花粉形态进行了观察,并与山茶科 Theaceae(7属9种)和山柳科Clethraceae(1属1种)的花粉进行了对比分析。根据花粉的 资料,并综合分析有关的外部形态、胚胎和化学方面的特征,讨论了猕猴桃科的范围,以及这个 科的系统位置。     

太白山表土花粉和气孔器与植物类型的关系研究

通过陕西太白山13个样点表土花粉组合特征和气孔器及其与植物类型之间关系的分析,结果发现:针阔混交林花粉组合能很好地反映植物类型特征,落叶阔叶林和针叶林花粉组合能较好地与植物类型相对应,高山灌丛草甸花粉组合未能反映植物类型数量特征;主要花粉类型松属、铁杉属和桦属花粉具超代表性,胡桃属和榆属花粉具适宜代表性,落叶松属、冷杉属、杜鹃花科和槭属花粉具低代表性;DCA(Detrended Correspondence Analysis)分析表明,通过花粉数据能够较好区分不同植被类型,结合气孔器特征能够准确反映植被特征。     

中国柽柳科植物花粉形态特征聚类分析

在观察了中国柽柳科(Tamaricaceae)4属27种植物花粉形态的基础上,对其进行了聚类分析。观察结果表明:该科植物花粉为三沟类型,无三拟孔沟类型,形态及外壁雕纹属间差异明显。花粉特征聚类分析结果表明,中国柽柳科植物花粉大致划分为明显的三组,所包含的种(某些种除外)分别隶属于柽柳科的4属:琵琶柴属(ReaumuriaLinn.)、水柏枝属(MyricariaDesv.)、山柽柳属(MyrtamaOvcz&Kinz.)和柽柳属(TamarixLinn.),而有争议的山柽柳属虽同柽柳属聚在一起,但也较早地分出成为独立的一支,结合种子形态及分子生物学证据,支持将秀丽山柽柳从水柏枝属中分出而另立新属,为传统分类学将该科划分为4属提供了依据。聚类分析进一步将水柏枝属植物花粉和柽柳属植物花粉分别分为2种类型,而琵琶柴属植物花粉类除个别种体积存在差异外,其纹饰类型较为单一,仅划分为1种类型。柽柳属植物花粉聚类分析结果与该属植物花盘类型的划分结果基本一致,融生花盘类型植物的花粉则在两组中均有出现,可能是间生花盘和假顶生花盘类型间的过渡类型。     

中国无患子科的花粉形态及其系统学意义

利用扫描电镜对国产无患子科(狭义,Sapindaceae)23属30种1变种植物的花粉形态进行了观察。结果显示,该科花粉粒多为扁球形,部分为长球形,少数为球形或近球形,极面观多为三角形;从花粉萌发孔类型看,大多数种类具三沟孔,有的形成合沟,少数仅具三孔而无沟;从花粉外壁纹饰看,多数花粉外壁具网状或条纹状雕纹,少数花粉的外壁具刺状或颗粒状纹饰。花粉形态特征支持文冠果亚科(Xanthoceroideae)以及广义鳞花木属(Lepisanthes)概念,并支持仍将茶条木属(Delavaya)置于车桑子亚科(Dodonaeoideae)。观察发现黄梨木(Boniodendron minus)与栾树属(Koelreuteria),龙眼属(Dimocarpus)、荔枝属(Litchi)与韶子属(Nephelium)从花粉形态上表现出较近的亲缘关系。基于花粉形态特征编制了国产无患子科分属检索表。     

滇桐属的花粉形态及其系统位置的探讨

滇桐属(Craigia w.w.Smith ＆ W．E. Evans)植物的生殖器官与花粉的形态都比 较特殊,一直受到国内外学者的重视,究竟应将它归入梧桐科(sterculiaceae)还是椴树科 (Tiliaceae),长期以来都存在着不同的见解。为了帮助澄清这个问题,本文在过去研究中国 梧桐科花粉形态的基础上,从花粉形态的角度进行探讨,对滇桐属的花粉以及椴树科的椴属 (Tilia)、海南椴属(Hainania)、蚬木属(Excentrodendron)等4属16种花粉在扫描电子显微镜 和光学显微镜下进行观察。研究结果表明,滇桐属花粉与椴树科3个属的花粉在形状、极性、 萌发孔位置及其形状结构(包括孔室的形状)、表面纹饰等方面都有差异,但与梧桐科的苹婆 属(Sterculia)、梭罗树属(Reevesia)等的花粉形态比较接近,而且滇桐属的花的形态与苹婆属等的也很相似,因此我们认为把滇桐属置于梧桐科内是比较合适的。     

宁夏大罗山表土样品中主要花粉类型的代表性

基于宁夏大罗山(森林岛屿)及其周边地区69个样方的植被调查和表土花粉分析的数据,计算得到主要花粉类型的联合指数(A)、低代表性指数(U)、超代表性指数(O)和花粉百分比含量。通过分析表明:禾本科和蒿属花粉与植被的关系呈强相关,花粉的出现能够指示母体植物在当地的生长;桦木属、藜科、云杉属和松属花粉类型具超代表性,但若花粉百分比含量较高仍可以表征母体植物在当地的生长;菊科、蔷薇科、瑞香科、旋花科、榛属、莎草科、大戟科、唇形科、豆科、木樨科、杨属、柳属、蒺藜科和伞形科花粉与植被的关系呈弱相关,有一定的指示意义;十字花科和柽柳科花粉与植被无相关性,花粉的出现和百分比含量都不能作为母体植物出现的指标。以上结果可为化石孢粉记录的解释提供依据。     

我国主要杉科花粉扫描电镜特征及化石水松的花粉形态鉴别

本文运用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和光学显微镜(LM)观察了水松属、柳杉属、杉木属和落羽杉属等代表性物种的花粉形态和细微结构,利用SEM对花粉外壁上附着的微颗粒进行了测量、统计和分析。研究发现,杉木花粉和落羽杉花粉外壁微颗粒及其小刺形态很容易与水松花粉区分开来。然而,水松属与柳杉属花粉形态较为相近,两者主要特点均为近球形,远极面乳头状突起较高,外壁附着的微颗粒具有刺状突起等。本文根据电子显微镜2-4万倍放大观察,分析研究了花粉表面附着的微颗粒大小以及微颗粒之上小刺的数目关系,发现水松与柳杉花粉仍可以通过花粉表面附着的微颗粒特征进行区分。此外,本文还对比了福建天湖山THD-1钻孔晚全新世化石杉科花粉,并认为绝大部分化石杉科花粉与水松花粉形态基本一致。本研究为第四纪化石花粉的属种鉴别提供了新的依据。     

桦木科植物的花粉形态研究

对桦木科植物(包括6属36种)的花粉进行了光学显微镜、扫描电镜和透射电镜观察;系统地描 述了各属的花粉形态,划分了三种花粉类型,即桦木型、榛型、鹅耳枥型,并澄清了前人在带状加厚、孔盖和颗粒层等概念上的模糊认识。根据花粉的形态,作者不支持Hutchinson(1973)和Dahlgren(1983)把桦木科分成两个科,即榛科(包括榛属、虎榛子属、鹅耳枥属和铁木属)和桦科(包括桤木属和桦木属);而同意Abbe(1974)将桦木科作为三个族来处理,并且认为虎榛子属应该从榛族分出,置于鹅耳枥族;尽管作者不支持Kuprianova(1963)将桦木科划分为三个科,但本文所提出的三个族与Kuprianova的三个科只是分类等级上的差异。     

中国柽柳科（Tamaricaceae）花粉形态研究及其分类意义的探讨

研究观察了中国柽柳科（Tamaricaceae)4属27种植物的花粉形态。中国柽柳科植物花粉为三沟类型,无三拟孔沟类型,形态及外壁雕纹属间差异明显。根据花粉资料,探讨了属间的进化关系和分类地位及本科植物花粉外壁的演化途径。     

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.