Genetic and biological characterisation of three cryptic Eimeria operational taxonomic units that infect chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

More than 68 billion chickens were produced globally in 2018, emphasising their major contribution to the production of protein for human consumption and the importance of their pathogens. Protozoan Eimeria spp. are the most economically significant parasites of chickens, incurring global costs of more than UK £10.4 billion per annum. Seven Eimeria spp. have long been recognised to infect chickens, with three additional cryptic operational taxonomic units (OTUs) first described more than 10 years ago. As the world’s farmers attempt to reduce reliance on routine use of antimicrobials in livestock production, replacing drugs that target a wide range of microbes with precise species- and sometimes strain-specific vaccines, the breakthrough of cryptic genetic types can pose serious problems. Consideration of biological characteristics including oocyst morphology, pathology caused during infection and pre-patent periods, combined with gene-coding sequences predicted from draft genome sequence assemblies, suggest that all three of these cryptic Eimeria OTUs possess sufficient genetic and biological diversity to be considered as new and distinct species. The ability of these OTUs to compromise chicken bodyweight gain and escape immunity induced by current commercially available anticoccidial vaccines indicates that they could pose a notable threat to chicken health, welfare, and productivity. We suggest the names Eimeria lata n. sp., Eimeria nagambie n. sp. and Eimeria zaria n. sp. for OTUs x, y and z, respectively, reflecting their appearance (x) or the origins of the first isolates of these novel species (y, z).     

The use of an unoccupied aerial vehicle to survey shark species over sand and rocky-reef habitats in a marine protected area

Cabo Pulmo National Park was established in 1995 and has since seen a large increase in fish biomass. An unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to survey shallow coastal habitat in which lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris), bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) and Pacific nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma unami) were recorded. Sharks were more common in the afternoon, potentially using warmer shallow areas to behaviourally thermoregulate. This study highlights UAV surveying to be a viable tool for species identification, a limitation of previous terrestrial surveys conducted in the area.     

Genomic surveillance of Nevada patients revealed prevalence of unique SARS-CoV-2 variants bearing mutations in the RdRp gene

Patients with signs of COVID-19 were tested through diagnostic RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 using RNA extracted from the nasopharyngeal/nasal swabs.To determine the variants of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the state of Nevada,specimens from 200 COVID-19 patients were sequenced through our robust sequencing platform,which enabled sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from specimens with even very low viral loads,without the need of culture-based amplification.High genome coverage allowed the identification of single and multi-nucleotide variants in SARS-CoV-2 in the community and their phylogenetic relationships with other variants present during the same period of the outbreak.We report the occurrence of a novel mutation at 323aa (314aa of orf1b) of nsp12 (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) changed to phenylalanine(F) from proline (P),in the first reported isolate of SARS-CoV-2,Wuhan-Hu-1.This 323F variant was present at a very high frequency in Northern Nevada.Structural modeling determined this mutation in the interface domain,which is important for the association of accessory proteins required for the polymerase.In conclusion,we report the introduction of specific SARS-CoV-2 variants at very high frequency in distinct geographic locations,which is important for understanding the evolution and circulation of SARS-CoV-2variants of public health importance,while it circulates in humans.     

利用基因组改组技术提高短杆菌素产量及其培养条件优化*

短杆菌素是一种广谱抗菌肽,对细菌和真菌均有较好的抑制作用,具有潜在的抗生素替代价值。通过对侧孢短芽孢杆菌fmb70进行紫外诱变、亚硝基胍诱变、常压室温等离子体诱变,获得3株短杆菌素产量提高的诱变菌株。随后以诱变菌株为亲本进行两轮基因组改组,获得融合子F₂-24,其短杆菌素产量为(340.5±16.35) μg/mL,是野生菌株fmb70短杆菌素产量的1.92倍。融合子传代5代后,该菌株短杆菌素产量无明显差异,说明菌株稳定性良好。最后对该菌株产短杆菌素的培养基和发酵条件进行优化,优化后的培养基为:4%蔗糖、2%牛肉膏、0.5%氯化镁,发酵温度30℃、培养24 h、培养基初始pH6.0。优化后的短杆菌素产量可达(442.45±9.58)μg/mL,是初始培养条件的2.50倍。     

中国基层医疗机构手癣和足癣诊治现状调查

目的了解基层医生有关手癣、足癣的诊治现状,分析影响因素,制定有针对性的措施。方法通过网络平台对全国19个省市的基层医生进行问卷调查。结果共回收完整问卷729份。结果显示:①约20%的基层医生对手、足癣的发病因素方面存在认识不足,约50%的基层医生对受侵犯皮肤的组织定位存在误区。②基层医生对手、足癣鉴别诊断的重要性重视不够,真菌镜检设备使用率不足一半。③基层医生能正确选用外用抗真菌药,硝酸咪康唑乳膏使用率超过80%。④仍有10.70%的基层医生推荐使用外用糖皮质激素治疗手、足癣。结论基层医生在手、足癣的规范诊疗方面仍有待提高。     

海南尖峰岭国家级自然保护区森林动态监测样地鸟类和兽类多样性

2016年8月至2019年2月, 我们利用红外相机对海南尖峰岭60 ha森林动态监测样地的鸟类和兽类进行了调查。共在79个位点上布设了红外相机, 累积27,848个相机日, 获得可鉴定到物种的独立有效照片15,320张。经鉴定, 共拍摄到46种野生动物, 包括16种兽类(隶属于6目11科)和30种鸟类(隶属于8目16科)。其中, 属于国家I级重点保护的野生动物有3种, 即海南孔雀雉(Polyplectron katsumatae)、海南山鹧鸪(Arborophila ardens)和中华穿山甲(Manis pentadactyla), 属于国家II级重点保护的野生动物有6种, 分别是猕猴(Macaca mulatta)、巨松鼠(Ratufa bicolor)、红原鸡(Gallus gallus)、白鹇(Lophura nycthemera)、松雀鹰(Accipiter virgatus)和蓝背八色鸫(Pitta soror)。拍摄率最高的前5种兽类依次是帚尾豪猪(Atherurus macrourus)、红腿长吻松鼠(Dremomys pyrrhomerus)、白腹巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsi)、赤腹松鼠(Callosciurus erythraeus)和赤麂(Muntiacus vaginalis);前5种鸟类依次是白鹇、海南孔雀雉、蓝背八色鸫、海南山鹧鸪和栗颊噪鹛(Garrulax castanotis)。本研究补充调查了海南尖峰岭国家级自然保护区兽类和鸟类的多样性, 与之前的基线调查对比分析了大样地内野生动物物种及其相对多度的动态变化, 可为保护区生物多样性监测方案设计和保护对策的制定提供科学依据。     

染色体分选技术在植物学研究中的应用

介绍了染色体分选技术的基本原理和样品处理的基本流程,对根尖分生区采用同步化处理,制备染色体悬浮液,最后通过流式细胞仪的分析与收集获得纯度高、数量多的目标染色体。综述了染色体分选技术在植物学研究中的主要应用,包括物理图谱的构建、DNA分子标记的开发、以及复杂多倍体植物的基因组测序等。通过染色体分选技术的不断完善与发展,应用于染色体分选的探针标记不断开发,以及分选后的染色体DNA纯化和扩增技术的优化,将为多倍体植物如甘蔗等基因组学研究提供更有效的帮助。     

福建省福州市马尾区药用植物资源研究

依托第四次全国中药资源普查工作,摸清马尾区药用植物资源种类、分布、重点中药材品种以及药材栽培等情况。根据第四次全国中药资源普查要求,通过实地调查、走访以及栽培基地调查等方法对马尾区药用植物资源进行调查,查阅相关资料确定野生药用植物的药用部位、生活型等。马尾区野生药用植物种类共计506种,隶属于132科360属,含2～5种的寡种科占绝对优势地位;草本为主要生活型,药用部位集中在根类和全草类;有福建省重点药材50种、特色药材22种。由于长期受人为干扰,马尾区原生植被破坏严重,药用植物种类较为贫乏。因此,可考虑林下种植中药改善土壤环境,实现中药资源可持续发展。     

Generation and Analysis of ESTs from the Grass Carp,Ctenopharyngodon idellus

Grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus (Valenciennes, 1844), is an economically important species widely cultured in the world, but its genome research resources are largely lacking. The objectives of this study were to construct normalized cDNA libraries for efficient EST analysis, to generate ESTs from these libraries, and to identify EST-related molecular markers such as microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for genetic analysis of this species. A total of 6,269 ESTs were generated representing 4,815 unique sequences, from which 105 putative microsatellites and 5,228 SNPs were identified. These genome resources provide the material basis for future genetic and functional analyses in this species.