Identification of two critical amino acid residues of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein for its variation in zoonotic tropism transition via a double substitution strategy

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a recently identified human coronavirus. The extremely high homology of the viral genomic sequences between the viruses isolated from human (huSARS-CoV) and those of palm civet origin (pcSARS-CoV) suggested possible palm civet-to-human transmission. Genetic analysis revealed that the spike (S) protein of pcSARS-CoV and huSARS-CoV was subjected to the strongest positive selection pressure during transmission, and there were six amino acid residues within the receptor-binding domain of the S protein being potentially important for SARS progression and tropism. Using the single-round infection assay, we found that a two-amino acid substitution (N479K/T487S) of a huSARS-CoV for those of pcSARS-CoV almost abolished its infection of human cells expressing the SARS-CoV receptor ACE2 but no effect upon the infection of mouse ACE2 cells. Although single substitution of these two residues had no effects on the infectivity of huSARS-CoV, these recombinant S proteins bound to human ACE2 with different levels of reduced affinity, and the two-amino acid-substituted S protein showed extremely low affinity. On the contrary, substitution of these two amino acid residues of pcSARS-CoV for those of huSRAS-CoV made pcSARS-CoV capable of infecting human ACE2-expressing cells. These results suggest that amino acid residues at position 479 and 487 of the S protein are important determinants for SARS-CoV tropism and animal-to-human transmission.     

冬青叶兔唇花地上部分非极性成分的GC-MS分析

兔唇花属植物具有良好的止血活性,该属植物的化学成分研究也比较深入,但未见对冬青叶兔唇花化学成分的报道。为明确冬青叶兔唇花的化学成分,我们首次对其地上部分的非极性成分进行了GC-MS分析,并利用峰面积归一化法确定各成分的相对含量。从冬青叶兔唇花地上部分的非极性成分中,我们分离、鉴定了52种成分,占非极性成分总量的92.61%,主要包括脂肪酸酯、长链烷烃、单萜、倍半萜、甾体及芳香化合物等。本研究为兔唇花属植物资源的合理开发利用奠定了基础。     

鼎湖山土壤有机质δ13C时空分异机制

根据鼎湖山若干海拔部位土壤剖面薄层取样样品有机质含量、¹⁴C测年及δ¹³C结果,研究土壤有机质δ¹³C时空分异机制.结果表明,不同海拔土壤剖面有机质δ¹³C深度特征受控于剖面发育进程,与有机质组成及其分解过程密切相关.植被枯落物成为表土层有机质以及表土层被埋藏后的有机质更新过程,均存在碳同位素分馏效应,有机质δ¹³C显著增大.相对于地表植被枯落物δ¹³C,表土层有机质δ¹³C增幅取决于表土有机质更新速率.表土有机质δ¹³C与植被枯落物δ¹³C均随海拔升高而增大,说明植被构成随海拔升高呈规律性变化.这与鼎湖山植被的垂直分布一致.不同海拔土壤剖面有机质δ¹³C深度特征类似,有机质含量深度特征一致,有机质¹⁴C表观年龄自上向下增加.这是剖面发育过程中有机质不断更新的结果.土壤剖面有机质δ¹³C最大值深度与¹⁴C弹穿透深度的成因和大小不同,均反映地貌与地表植被对有机碳同位素深度分布的控制.     

不同生长周期的罗汉果鲜果中甜甙V和总黄酮含量变化规律研究

通过使用HPLC法对不同生长周期的罗汉果鲜果中罗汉果甜甙V和总黄酮的含量进行测定,总结出罗汉果中罗汉果甜甙V和总黄酮含量的变化规律,并对二者进行比较研究,结果表明坐果50d后,罗汉果甜甙Ⅴ的增加比较快,80d后,罗汉果甜甙Ⅴ的含量趋于稳定;随着生长周期的增加,罗汉果总黄酮的含量增加,40～50d中增长最快,坐果约50d后达到最高值,从60d开始总黄酮的含量迅速下降到20d水平,然后趋于稳定。     

一个造血模型的持久生存

考虑下述造血模型dN(t)/dt=-δN(t)-βθ^nN(t)/θ^n N^n(t) 2βθ^nN(t-τ）/θ^n N^n(t-τ)e^γτ,t≥0,其中δ、β、θ、γ、τ∈（0, ∞）,n∈（1, ∞）,得到持久生存的充分条件。     

A new lycopsid megaspore cone from the Upper Devonian of Chaohu, China

A new small lycopsid cone, Minostrobus chaohuensis gen. et sp. nov. , is described from the upper part of Wutung Formation (Famennian) of Chaohu, Anhui, China. Six sporophylls in each whorl are tightly arranged on the cone axis. Each sporophyll consists of a short pedicel and a narrow lamina with smooth margins. One spherical to spherical-ellipsoidal sporangium is attached directly to the adaxial surface of each sporophyll. Each sporangium contains four megaspores. A solid exarch protostele occurs at the centre of the cone axis, and a mesarch protostele in the base of the sporophyll. M. chaohuensis is interpreted as a small, herbaceous, heterosporous lycopsid.     

虎纹捕鸟蛛毒素-Ⅵ的分离纯化与鉴定

通过离子交换及反相HPLC,从虎纹捕鸟蛛毒液中分离得到1种新的哺乳类神经毒素,命名为虎纹捕鸟蛛毒素-Ⅵ（Huwentoxin-Ⅵ,HWTX-Ⅵ）。MALDI-TOF质谱仪分析及氨基酸序列分析表明该多肽毒素分子量为4.44018kDa,序列为H2N-CIGEG VPCDE NDPRC CSGLV VLKKT LHGIW IKSSY CYKCK-COOH,其中6个Cys形成3对二硫键,小鼠脑内注射实验表明,HWTX-Ⅵ对神经系统具有明显的致瘫作用。这种致瘫作用又具有可逆性。     

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (alpha-chlorohydrin) disrupts spermatogenesis and causes spermatotoxicity in males of the Egyptian fruit-bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus)

We evaluated the sterilizing effect of 3-monochloropropane-1, 2-diol (3-MCPD) in male Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). We used three groups. One was treated with 70 mg/kg 3-MCPD for 4 days. The second group was treated with 3-MCPD as a bait formulation (known concentration of 3-MCPD mixed with a known amount of food). The third group was untreated controls. We compared the weights of the reproductive organs, histology of the testes, occurrence of spermatogenesis, and the count, motility and abnormalities of epididymal sperm of treated males with those of the untreated control group. 3-MCPD caused significantly decreased weights of reproductive organs, several testicular histological alterations and spermatogenic arrest accompanied by significant decreases in sperm count and motility, and significantly increased number of abnormal sperm. 3-MCPD bait was readily accepted by the animals. 3-MCPD, even in low doses and after limited exposure, disrupted spermatogenesis in males of the Egyptian fruit bat. Our findings have potential value for public health and agricultural authorities, and for vertebrate pest managers. 3-MCPD may have application for control of this pest.