Cryo-EM structure of glycoprotein C from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a causative agent of serious hemorrhagic diseases in humans with high mortality rates. CCHFV glycoprotein Gc plays critical roles in mediating virus-host membrane fusion and has been studied extensively as an immunogen. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in membrane fusion and Gc-specific antibody-antigen interactions remain unresolved largely because structural information of this glycoprotein is missing. We designed a trimeric protein including most of the ectodomain region of Gc from the prototype CCHFV strain, IbAr10200, which enabled the cryo-electron microscopy structure to be solved at a resolution of 2.8 ?. The structure confirms that CCHFV Gc is a class II fusion protein. Unexpectedly, structural comparisons with other solved Gc trimers in the postfusion conformation revealed that CCHFV Gc adopted hybrid architectural features of the fusion loops from hantaviruses and domain III from phenuiviruses, suggesting a complex evolutionary pathway among these bunyaviruses. Antigenic sites on CCHFV Gc that protective neutralizing antibodies target were mapped onto the CCHFV Gc structure, providing valuable information that improved our understanding of potential neutralization mechanisms of various antibodies.     

Development of a fluorescent probe hydrolysis-insulated isothermal PCR for rapid and sensitive on-site detection of African swine fever virus

Highlights
1. A probe-based insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) assay was developed for rapid and onsite detection of ASFV.
2. The developed iiPCR showed similar sensitivity and specificity with OIE recommended real-time PCR.
3. Blood samples could be directly applied as PCR template in iiPCR without DNA extraction.     

Therapeutic effects of repeated immersions in warm chlorhexidine solution on severe frostbite of rabbit feet

The shaved right hind feet of male rabbits weighing 2.5 to 3.0 kg were immersed in −25 °C alcohol to produce experimental severe frostbite. The changes in tissue temperature were recorded by a thermocouple probe inserted subcutaneously.In the first experiment the therapeutic effects of repeated immersion of frostbitten feet in 40 °C 0.1% chlorhexidine (CHX) were observed. The average survival area (ASA) in the untreated control group was 15.6% and in the CHX group, 69.4%. The difference between them is significant.In the second experiment the effects of rapid thawing in 40 °C water when the feet were frozen and the effects of CHX were compared; ASA of both groups (49.0 and 60.4%) was greater than that of the control group (18.6%), but there was no distinct difference between these therapeutic groups.Results of the third experiment demonstrated that repeated immersion in 40 °C water for 6 days was not only useless, but was also harmful (13.6%). At the same time, repeated immersion in 20 °C 0.1% CHX solution was useless as well. Only when the two factors (warmer temperature and CHX) were combined, i.e., repeated immersion in 40 °C rather than 20 °C 0.1% CHX solution were the effects obvious (58.4%).Experiment 4 investigated the relationship between the first immersion time and the therapeutic effects. Results showed that even with the first immersion at 72 hr after thawing, repeated immersion in 40 °C 0.1% CHX solution was still useful; the ASA (53.0%) was greater than that of the control group (17.6%).Experiment 5 concerned the relationship between therapeutic effects and continual days of immersions. The ASA values in control and 1-, 3-, and 6-day groups were 14.2, 36.6, 58.4, and 69.4%, respectively.In the final experiment, the effects of CHX-Cl and CHX-Ac were compared. The ASA values were 71.3 and 77.7%; there was no significant difference between them.All of the above experiments proved that repeated immersions in 40 °C 0.1% CHX solution is a useful therapeutic measure in treatment of severe experimental frostbite of rabbit feet. It is useful even when the first immersion is at 72 hr after thawing of the frozen limbs.     

Mechanisms of chromatin-based epigenetic inheritance

Multi-cellular organisms such as humans contain hundreds of cell types that share the same genetic information(DNA sequences), and yet have different cellular traits and functions. While how genetic information is passed through generations has been extensively characterized, it remains largely obscure how epigenetic information encoded by chromatin regulates the passage of certain traits, gene expression states and cell identity during mitotic cell divisions, and even through meiosis. In this r...     

Studying bona fide SARS-CoV-2 biology in a BSL-2 biosafety environment using a split-virus-genome system

<正>Dear Editor,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARSCoV-2) was identified as the pathogen causing the coronavirus disease(COVID-19), which sometimes resulted in fatal pneumonia(Hu et al., 2021). SARS-CoV-2 is a biosafety level 3(BSL-3) pathogen, and the requirement for high containment conditions is a bottleneck for basic research on viral biology.     

Reverse spillover of SARS-CoV-2 from human to wild animals

<正>The heavily transmitted and mutated SARS-CoV-2 has constitutes a sustained threat to global health. A recent article published in Nature, firstly provided solid evidence confirming the cross-species transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) from human to free-ranging white-tailed deer(Hale et al., 2022).More importantly, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 among deer rapidly resulted into new phylogenetic clades of deer-only viruses which were believed linkin...     

生长素输出载体PIN蛋白的质膜定位机制

生长素浓度梯度影响植物个体及其器官的形态建成, 而PIN (PIN-FORMED)蛋白决定组织中的生长素流向。细胞质膜的脂筏特性是PIN蛋白在质膜上不均匀分布的基础。与此同时, 网格蛋白介导的胞吞、蛋白质的磷酸化/去磷酸化甚至基因的转录调控影响PIN蛋白的这种极性定位。另外, 在多细胞植物起源之时, PIN蛋白可能经历了从内质网膜定位到质膜定位的转变。     

供氮水平对盐胁迫下水稻叶片光合及叶绿素荧光特性的影响

为了解供氮水平对不同时期盐胁迫下水稻(Oryza sativa)叶片光合及叶绿素荧光特性的影响, 以2个北方常规粳稻(Oryza sativa subsp. japonica)品种为材料, 在5个氮水平下进行培养, 于分蘖期、孕穗期和抽穗期分别进行盐胁迫处理, 测定分析了水稻叶片光合及叶绿素荧光参数的变化。结果表明, 与对照相比, 盐胁迫下水稻叶片的净光合速率(P_n)、蒸腾速率(T_r)、气孔导度(G_s)和表观叶肉导度(AMC)均显著降低, 在分蘖期、孕穗期和抽穗期分别以2N、1N和1/2N水平下降低的百分率最小; 气孔限制值(L_s)则显著增加, 分别以2N、1N和1/2N水平下增加的百分率最大。盐胁迫下, 与对照相比, PSII的实际光合效率(ΦPSII)、表观光合量子传递效率(ETR)和光化学淬灭(qP)均显著降低, 在分蘖期、孕穗期和抽穗期分别以2N、1N和1/2N水平下降低的百分率最小; 非光化学淬灭(NPQ)呈增加的变化趋势, 与对照相比, 分别以2N、1N和1/2N水平下增加的百分率最小。以上结果说明盐胁迫下水稻孕穗后, 供氮水平适量降低有利于减缓叶片光合作用的下降, 提高其抵御盐害能力。     

芽孢杆菌菌肥和菌剂对连作条件下桃幼树生长和土壤环境的影响

研究向桃树连作土壤中添加芽孢杆菌菌肥和菌剂对再植幼树生长、土壤养分、酶活性和真菌群落的影响,可为缓解桃树连作障碍提供理论依据.在盆栽条件下,以一年生普通桃'圆梦'和连作10年的桃园土壤为试材,设置8个处理,即连作土常规处理(RS)、客土常规处理(NS)、连作土常规处理基础上分别添加1％、4％、8％的芽孢杆菌菌肥(BF1...     

掌叶大黄根茎大黄多糖的贮藏和分布特征

采用组织化学方法和苯酚硫酸比色法研究了大黄多糖在掌叶大黄(Rheum palmatum)根茎中的贮藏分布特征及其含量变化规律。结果表明: 大黄多糖在根茎中呈多位点贮藏, 在根茎的周皮、皮层、次生维管组织的薄壁细胞以及髓内不同程度地贮藏和积累了一定数量的大黄多糖, 次生木质部的木薄壁细胞以及次生韧皮部的韧皮薄壁细胞是大黄多糖的主要贮藏和积累部位; 不同发育时期根茎中大黄多糖含量的变化规律为: 随着植物的生长, 根茎及其各组织中大黄多糖的总含量表现为逐渐增高的趋势, 但在发育的后期略有下降; 与木薄壁细胞相比, 韧皮薄壁细胞贮藏大黄多糖量相对较多, 大黄多糖的贮藏和积累方式为逐渐累积。次生维管组织为大黄多糖贮藏和积累的主要组织。