SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like pathological damages and constitutes an antiviral target

Cytokine storm and multi-organ failure are the main causes of SARS-CoV-2-related death. However, the origin of excessive damages caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains largely unknown. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (2-E) protein alone is able to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like damages in vitro and in vivo. 2-E proteins were found to form a type of pH-sensitive cation channels in bilayer lipid membranes. As observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, heterologous expression of 2-E channels induced rapid cell death in various susceptible cell types and robust secretion of cytokines and chemokines in macrophages. Intravenous administration of purified 2-E protein into mice caused ARDS-like pathological damages in lung and spleen. A dominant negative mutation lowering 2-E channel activity attenuated cell death and SARS-CoV-2 production. Newly identified channel inhibitors exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and excellent cell protective activity in vitro and these activities were positively correlated with inhibition of 2-E channel. Importantly, prophylactic and therapeutic administration of the channel inhibitor effectively reduced both the viral load and secretion of inflammation cytokines in lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2). Our study supports that 2-E is a promising drug target against SARS-CoV-2.Subject terms: Cell death, Molecular biology     

TEB/POLQ plays dual roles in protecting Arabidopsis from NO-induced DNA damage

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key player in numerous physiological processes. Excessive NO induces DNA damage, but how plants respond to this damage remains unclear. We screened and identified an Arabidopsis NO hypersensitive mutant and found it to be allelic to TEBICHI/POLQ, encoding DNA polymerase θ. The teb mutant plants were preferentially sensitive to NO- and its derivative peroxynitrite-induced DNA damage and subsequent double-strand breaks (DSBs). Inactivation of TEB caused the accumulation of spontaneous DSBs largely attributed to endogenous NO and was synergistic to DSB repair pathway mutations with respect to growth. These effects were manifested in the presence of NO-inducing agents and relieved by NO scavengers. NO induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in the teb mutant, indicative of stalled replication forks. Genetic analyses indicate that Polθ is required for translesion DNA synthesis across NO-induced lesions, but not oxidation-induced lesions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that Polθ bypasses NO-induced base adducts in an error-free manner and generates mutations characteristic of Polθ-mediated end joining. Our experimental data collectively suggests that Polθ plays dual roles in protecting plants from NO-induced DNA damage. Since Polθ is conserved in higher eukaryotes, mammalian Polθ may also be required for balancing NO physiological signaling and genotoxicity.     

锌离子响应转录激活因子ZafA对球孢白僵菌锌离子利用及生防潜能的影响

球孢白僵菌作为丝孢类昆虫病原真菌,已广泛应用于农林害虫的生物防治,但是田间多变的环境影响了真菌制剂的效能。此外,真菌侵染宿主后,宿主体内的环境也影响真菌的增殖和侵染速度。为研究球孢白僵菌对环境中酸碱度及微量元素的平衡能力,本研究初步探讨了锌离子响应转录激活因子ZafA与真菌生长繁殖、抗逆能力、毒力以及锌离子利用的关系。结果表明,敲除zafA削弱了真菌生长繁殖和孢子萌发的能力,增加了菌株对氧化、高渗、孢壁干扰剂以及紫外胁迫的敏感性,杀虫毒力显著下降,并抑制了相关性状基因的表达水平。基因敲除菌株无法在锌离子缺失的条件下生长,且zafA基因和锌离子转运蛋白编码基因zrf1–8的表达水平会受到酸碱度以及锌离子浓度的影响。由此可见,ZafA不仅直接影响球孢白僵菌利用锌离子的能力,还与球孢白僵菌抗逆能力和毒力密切相关,本研究为提高生防真菌环境适应性和发挥毒力提供新的依据。     

渤海浮游动物群落生态特点Ⅰ.种类组成与群落结构

以１９５９年全国海洋普查浮游动物中网周年标本为材料,对渤海浮游动物的群落结构进行分析。渤海浮游动物群落以近岸广温种为主,主要优势种包括小拟哲水蚤（Ｐａｒａｃａｌａｎｕｓ ｐａｒｖｕｓ）、双毛纺锤水蚤（Ａｃａｒｔｉａ ｂｉｆｉｌｏｓａ）、强额拟哲水蚤（Ｐａｒａｃａｌａｎｕｓ ｃｒａｓｓｉｒｏｓｔｒｉｓ）、拟长腹剑水蚤（Ｏｉｔｈｏｎａ ｓｉｍｉｌｉｓ）、墨氏胸刺水蚤（Ｃｅｎｔｒｏｐａｇｅｓ ｍｃｍｕｒ     

冷型小麦对干旱和阴雨的双重适应性

通过 10余年的研究 ,发现冠层温度持续偏低的冷型小麦具有广幅生态适应性 ,即在正常天气条件下 ,它的活力较好、代谢功能较强、具有较好的抗早衰能力 ,优于其它类型小麦 ;而在气象要素反差很大的干旱和连阴雨天气下 ,冷型小麦和暖型小麦、中间型小麦相比 ,不但冠层温度依然持续偏低 ,且在叶片功能期、叶绿素含量、可溶性蛋白质含量、过氧化氢酶活性、净光合速率和籽粒饱满指数等一系列重要内、外性状上仍能继续保持优势。这种对干旱和阴雨条件的双重适应性是冷型小麦一种宝贵的生物学品质 ,它有可能为小麦在多种气象生态条件下的高产、稳产打下较为坚实的生态生理基础 ,并能为优良品种的选育提出一个把冷温特征作为重要内容的较为新鲜的育种目标。     

盐增强培养对弗氏链霉菌产新霉素的影响

目的:弗氏链霉菌(Streptomyces fradiae)作为氨基糖苷类抗生素新霉素的主要生产菌株,其新霉素B具有抗菌活性强、抗癌、抗HIV等作用,提高新霉素B的效价具有重要意义.方法:在满足微生物正常生长所需盐离子的条件下,通过盐增强培养的方式向培养基中添加不同种类、浓度无机盐来改变细胞壁附近的理化特性、渗透压以及...     

发酵液内氨甲酰妥布拉霉素的定量测定

报道了应用一种以测量图象面积为指标的Ｚｙ－３００Ａ多功能抑菌圈测量仪,能够精确、稳定、快速地测定发酵液经薄层层析生物显迹后单组分氨甲酰妥布拉霉素的抑菌斑面积,然后从绘制的标准曲线中直接读取氨甲酸妥布拉霉素在发酵液中的含量,从而排除了其他组分对测定的干扰。试验证明,用Ｚｙ－３００Ａ多功能抑菌圈测量仪测定抗生素薄层层析生物显迹的抑菌斑,具有线性宽、精密度高、重复性强、操作简单方便等优点．本方法的建立为抗生素的纯品检定和多组分抗生素发酵、分离和纯化提供了准确的定量数据．