濒危植物蒙古扁桃花粉活力和柱头可授性研究

用过氧化氢酶法测定蒙古扁桃花粉的活力和寿命,用联苯胺-过氧化氢法测定柱头可授性。结果表明,蒙古扁桃花粉活力在散粉后第2天最高,3d后活力迅速下降,三种类型的植株的花粉活力下降速度存在差异,其活力可持续30d左右。短柱头植株柱头在开花后1d可分泌黏液,长柱头和中柱头花植株的柱头在开花后2d才分泌黏液,短柱头分泌黏液的持续时间较后者长。柱头可授性持续时间同种之间也存在差异,长柱头和中柱头植株可达6d,而短柱头花植株可持续10d左右。     

平贝母传粉生物学及繁育系统的研究

用TTC法测定花粉的活力,用联苯胺-过氧化氢法测定柱头的可授性,通过实地观测访花者、套袋实验、花粉-胚珠比(P/O比)的估算及花粉粒形态的观察研究了平贝母的传粉特性及繁育系统类型.结果表明,平贝母的花粉活力在开花后2～5 d可达90%以上,6 d后有所减弱,10 d后仍有71.3%的花粉保持活力.柱头的可授期约持续8 d,在开花后3～4 d柱头的可授性最强,5 d以后可授性逐渐减弱.平贝母的繁育系统是以自花传粉为主,虫媒异花传粉为辅的兼性自交.研究结果为平贝母的品种选育、杂交育种、引种栽培及物种保育提供了理论和技术依据,为深入研究贝母属植物的演化提供了生殖生态学依据.     

芍药花粉活力和柱头可授性的研究

用TTC法测定了芍药花粉的活力和寿命,用联苯胺—过氧化氢法测定了其柱头的可授期。结果表明,栽培芍药单瓣花植株的花粉活力和重瓣花植株的花粉活力在开花初期(1～2d)无明显差别,但重瓣花植株的花粉活力比单瓣花植株的花粉活力下降快;通常情况下,花粉寿命约为7d。栽培品种的柱头有个体差异,单瓣花植株有的开花后2h即可分泌粘液,而重瓣花植株的柱头在开花后,有的一直不分泌粘液,有的在开花后两天才分泌粘液;单瓣花植株的柱头可授性比重瓣花植株的强,一般分别在开花后6d和3d之内具可授性。移栽的野生芍药植株的花粉活力比栽培品种下降的慢,其寿命也较长,一般为15d;柱头的可授性和粘液分泌比栽培植株强。     

黑河中游和烟台海滨中国柽柳的传粉生态学研究

中国柽柳(Tamarix chinensis)是干旱及半干旱地区的重要建群物种.为便于其有效利用和引种栽培,对黑河中游和烟台海滨的中国柽柳的开花动态、花粉活力、柱头可授性、访花者种类、花粉-胚珠比(P/O)、杂交指数(OCI)及座果率进行观测,结果表明:黑河中游和烟台海滨柽柳的花期和柱头可授性相似,花序花期为2-5天,开花当天柱头可授活性最大,之后逐渐下降,第4天柱头无可授性;花粉活力和访花者种类差别较大,黑河柽柳开花第1天花粉活力为(62±4.31)％,最高为(82.12±7.23)％,4天后花粉完全失活.烟台柽柳的花粉活力在开花后第1天最高为(89.13±7.23)％,第4天花粉活力下降为(11±1.12)％.黑河中游和烟台海滨柽柳的访花者均以膜翅目昆虫为主,黑河柽柳以黑带斑沙蜂(Bembix melanura)、卡切叶蜂[Megechile (Amegachile) kagiana]和黑带食蚜蝇(Episyrphus balteatus)等为主要访花者;烟台柽柳以姬蜂(Ichneumon sp.)、大灰食蚜蝇(Metasyrphus corollae)和灰地种蝇(Delia platura)等为主要访花者.二者P/O值、OCI及座果率差异不显著,黑河和烟台柽柳的P/O值分别为373.6±71.9和382.1±86.2;最高座果率分别为(89.72±7.76)％和(93.17±8.21)％;OCI均为3.上述研究结果显示,黑河中游和烟台海滨柽柳均为兼性异交的繁育系统.     

宁夏枸杞传粉生态学初步研究

田间观察检测了宁夏枸杞(Lycium barbarum L.)9个品系的开花物候、开花动态、花粉活力、柱头可授性及其繁育系统,并对花粉萌发、花粉管生长以及访花者的种类和访花行为进行了初步研究.结果表明,宁夏枸杞整个居群有长达5个月的花期,单花的花期仅为3～4 d,花粉活力可保持15 d左右,柱头可授性在72 h左右,雌雄生殖单位在持续时间上有较长的相遇期;花粉数量与胚珠比(P/O)为4 000左右,杂交指数(OCI)介于3或4,繁育系统为异交型,需要传粉者;荧光显微观察表明,参试的3个品系的花粉均能在柱头上萌发,2个有自交不亲和现象,其位置发生在花柱的上半部分和子房内.访花昆虫有17种,分属双翅目、膜翅目和鳞翅目,花的结构和开花式样适合以意大利蜜蜂和食蚜蝇为主的多种昆虫传粉.     

七叶树花粉活力和柱头可授性变化的研究

采用花粉离体萌发法研究不同蔗糖浓度、硼酸浓度和不同温度对七叶树花粉萌发的影响及花粉活力测定,用联苯胺-过氧化氢法测定柱头可授性.结果表明:七叶树花粉萌发的最佳培养基是12％蔗糖+30 mg/L硼酸,花粉萌发的最适温度为25℃.雄花在开花当天花粉活力最高达75.69％,并在开花当天的上午10:00时,花粉活力最强,10:00～16:00花粉活力保持较高活力,是最佳授粉时段.两性花的柱头可授期持续时间较长,为8～9 d,开花3d达到最强,开花1～4 d柱头可授性保持较高水平,为授粉的最佳时间段.因此,从七叶树的花部特征、花粉活力与柱头可授性及花粉萌发的条件看,在长期的自然选择下七叶树在花部结构和开花生理上都是相配合的,以保障生殖成功.     

黑河流域中游罗布麻传粉生态学特性研究

对黑河流域中游罗布麻的开花动态、花粉活力、柱头可授性、访花昆虫种类、访花频率、花粉与胚珠比(P/O)、杂交指数(OCI)及自然条件下的座果率进行观测,结果显示:罗布麻的单花花期为4～6 d,群体花期为6～8月,花朵开裂3.5 h后,花粉活力达到最大,4 d后花粉活力下降为0,柱头可授性在开花后第2天达到最大,柱头可授性可持续4 d.访花昆虫有10余种,以膜翅目昆虫为主,姬蜂、卡切叶蜂、达戈切叶蜂、意大利蜂、黑带食蚜蝇、菜粉蝶、蚜虫为主要传粉昆虫,花粉与胚珠比(P/O)为36.2,OCI为2,实验组和对照组的座果率分别为(2.79±0.99)%和(3.41±1.05)%.实验结果表明,罗布麻为兼性自交的繁育系统,座果率偏低,虫媒在传粉过程中只是起到一定辅助作用.     

滇重楼和毛重楼花粉活力和柱头可授性的研究

用TTC法测定了滇重楼和毛重楼花粉的活力,用联苯胺—过氧化氢法测定了其柱头的可授性。结果表明滇重楼的花粉活力在散粉后第1天活力较高以后则逐渐下降,在第2天和第19天花粉活力则急剧下降,但能维持20～23d,在整个花期中基本都具有活力。毛重楼的花粉寿命约为4d,第2天花粉活力达到最大值,第3天后花粉活力急剧下降,总体活力较低。滇重楼和毛重楼的柱头在整个花期中几乎都具可授性,但滇重楼在11～13d时柱头可授性最强,毛重楼在第5天可授性最强。两种重楼植物花粉活力较高的时期与柱头可授性较强的时期不一致,但柱头可授性较强的时间与分泌黏液较多的时间基本一致。     

华北蓝盆花的开花特性及传粉生态学研究

华北蓝盆花具头状花序 ,花冠蓝紫色 ,1朵花的花期约为 7～ 8d。边缘花比中部花大 ,但二者在花药大小、花丝长度、花柱长度、柱头直径等方面无显著差异。花粉寿命约为 4 d,花柱在花开后逐渐伸长 ,柱头微二裂、干燥型。同一花序内的花朵在 2～ 3d内逐渐开放 ,晚开的花散粉时、早开的花花柱仍未伸长 ,因此 ,花药与柱头之间有空间间隔和时间间隔 ,同一花序内的各花朵间相互传粉的机会很低。按照杂交指数 ,其繁育系统属于异交、部分自交亲和、需要传粉者。依据 P/ O数据 ,其繁育系统属于兼性异交。罩网试验显示 ,华北蓝盆花没有自发的自花传粉现象 ,自然条件下也没有无融合生殖现象 ,没有访花者访问便不能座果。在华北蓝盆花花序上记录到的访花者有 10余种 ,以双翅目、鞘翅目、膜翅目昆虫为主 ,最常见的访花者是雏蜂虻和豆芫菁。开花后不同日期 ,访花者的访花频率有所不同 :开花第 2天到第 7天的花序上 ,访花者的访花频率较高 ;开花第 4天 ,花序上访花者的访花频率最高。同一天内的不同时间 ,访花者的访花频率也有差异 ,一般规律是 :11:0 0～ 15 :0 0之间 ,访花者的访花频率较高。此外 ,气温骤降、阴天及降雨能使访花者的访花频率明显降低。     

珍稀濒危植物猬实的开花特性与传粉生物学研究

对迁地保护的珍稀濒危植物猬实的开花动态、花粉活力、柱头可授性、访花昆虫种类、访花频率、花粉与胚珠比(P/O)、异交指数(OCI)进行观测.结果表明：猬实的单花期约为7 d,种群花期约为14 d,花冠展开后2~3 h,花粉活力达到最高,约为90％,3 d后花粉基本不具活力.在整个单花期,柱头一直具可授性,花冠展开后第2天可授性最强.花粉与胚珠比(P/O)为(398．1±63．7),异交指数(OCI)为3,表明猬实是以异交为主,自交亲和的繁育系统,有时需要传粉者完成传粉过程.猬实的访花昆虫有10余种,以膜翅目蜜蜂科和隧蜂科昆虫为主,另外还有少量双翅目食蚜蝇科昆虫,偶见鳞翅目的柑橘凤蝶和长喙天蛾,其中以蜜蜂科蜜蜂属昆虫传粉效率最高.迁地保护的猬实未见结籽,其原因还有待于进一步研究.     

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.