Fish ACE2 is not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has reshaped our daily life and caused > 4 million deaths worldwide (https://covid19.who.int/). Although lockdown and vaccination have improved the situation in many countries, imported cases and sporadic outbreaks pose a constant stress to the prevention and control of COVID-19. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent responsible for COVID-19, has a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome of 30 kb (Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, 2020). We and other groups have demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 could use the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as cell receptor, including orthologs of a broad range of animal species such as human, bats, ferrets, pigs, cats, and dogs (Hoffmann et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2021). Although the evolutionary origin of SARS-CoV-2 can be linked to the discoveries of diverse coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 in wild animals such as bats (Zhou et al., 2020; Wacharapluesadee et al., 2021) and pangolins (Liu et al., 2019; Lam et al., 2020), the direct origin of SARS-CoV-2 in humans remains unknown. In China, several sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19 in 2020 were linked to food in cold chain sold at trade markets, including salmon meat (http://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/yqtb/list_gzbd.shtml) (Yang et al., 2020). The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on the surface of frozen meat for as long as 20 days has also been reported (Feng et al., 2021). A concern regarding the potential role of fish in SARS-CoV-2 transmission has also been raised. Therefore, we investigated the susceptibility of fish ACE2 to SARS-CoV-2.     

低频电磁场对酿酒酵母蛋白质表达及酶活性的影响

【背景】低频电磁场(Lowfrequencyelectromagneticfield,LF-EMF)可导致一系列健康效应的事实已被普遍接受。【目的】进一步探究LF-EMF辐射对细胞蛋白质表达及相关酶活性的影响。【方法】以酿酒酵母为研究对象,采用50HzLF-EMF对其进行持续暴露辐射,随后对其胞内蛋白质表达、相关酶活性进行分析。【结果】LF-EMF辐射对酿酒酵母超氧化物歧化酶(Superoxide dismutase,SOD)、过氧化氢酶(Catalase,CAT)和苹果酸脱氢酶(Malate dehydrogenase,MDH)活性的影响存在先促进后抑制的趋势。辐射处理使SOD活性在72 h提高了43.18%,CAT活性在16 h提高了12.22%,MDH活性在20h提高了12.90%(P0.05);而LF-EMF辐射作用对乙醇脱氢酶(Alcohol dehydrogenase,ADH)和乳酸脱氢酶(Lactatedehydrogenase,LDH)的活性并未观察到显著的影响(P0.05)。此外,蛋白质电泳和蛋白质组学分析的结果表明,LF-EMF可改变酿酒酵母部分胞内蛋白质的表达水平,其中3种蛋白质的表达发生显著上调,9种蛋白质的表达发生显著下调(P0.05)。【结论】LF-EMF辐射可影响酿酒酵母的部分酶活性,改变其胞内部分蛋白质的表达水平。     

糖抗原sTn是Ⅰ型子宫内膜癌的新型标记物

Sialyl-Tn(sTn)是肿瘤相关糖抗原的一种,在多种上皮来源的肿瘤组织中都存在sTn的过表达．但是,关于sTn在子宫内膜癌中的表达情况目前研究得很少,而且仅有的报道也互相矛盾．为了阐明这一问题,我们选取了111例临床样本,其中包括82例子宫内膜癌,16例非典型增生内膜,13例正常内膜,利用免疫组化的方法分析了sTn的表达情况．结果表明,sTn在子宫内膜癌中高表达,但仅限于Ⅰ型子宫内膜癌(80%),而在Ⅱ型子宫内膜癌中表达率仅为45%,二者具有显著性差异(P < 0.05)．这是我们首次报道sTn特异性与Ⅰ型子宫内膜癌相关,有利于解释过去前后不一的矛盾结果．在非典型组织中,sTn的表达率较正常组织高,分别为31%(正常组织)和44%(非典型组织)．这说明sTn参与了子宫内膜癌的发生发展．同时,我们的结果表明,sTn的表达与肿瘤的组织分级具有相关性,其在高、中分化的肿瘤组织中表达率明显高于低分化的肿瘤组织．这预示着sTn可能与子宫内膜癌的良好预后相关．我们的研究为诊断Ⅰ型子宫内膜癌提供了一个新的标记物和诊断试剂,同时提示我们,将来对于子宫内膜癌的研究,有必要对Ⅰ型子宫内膜癌和Ⅱ型子宫内膜癌区别对待．     

Current Status of Macaca mulatta in Taihangshan Mountains Area, Jiyuan, Henan, China

Primatologists have classified rhesus macaques of the Taihangshan Mountains area as Macaca mulatta tcheliensis, a subspecies confined to China. The northernmost area of its distribution is in the southern part of the Taihangshan Mountains, which includes a National Nature Reserve established in 1998. To investigate the current status of the subspecies, we surveyed the population and distribution of macaque groups in Jiyuan, Henan, China. In addition, we investigated habitat preferences and the food items foraged by macaques during winter and early spring. The results show that: 1) ca. 2100 macaques currently inhabit the Taihangshan Mountains National Nature Reserve, mainly in Jiyuan; 2) fragmentation of habitats of rhesus macaques have become severe in recent years; and 3) food resources are very poor during the long winter and the early spring. Macaques in the Taihangshan Mountains feed mainly on seeds, twigs, and bark and the eggs of some insects.     

Development of A MERS-CoV Replicon Cell Line for Antiviral Screening

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is the causative agent of a severe respiratory disease with a high mortality of ~ 35%. The lack of approved treatments for MERS-CoV infection underscores the need for a user-friendly system for rapid drug screening. In this study, we constructed a MERS-CoV replicon containing the Renilla luciferase (Rluc) reporter gene and a stable luciferase replicon-carrying cell line. Using this cell line, we showed that MERS-CoV replication was inhibited by combined application of lopinavir and ritonavir, indicating that this cell line can be used to screen inhibitors of MERS-CoV replication. Importantly, the MERS-replicon cell line can be used for high-throughput screening of antiviral drugs without the need for live virus handling, providing an effective and safe tool for the discovery of antiviral drugs against MERS-CoV.     

烤烟K326与香料植物间作模式下根际土可培养细菌多样性及功能

【背景】烤烟是我国重要的经济作物,选择间作种植方式能影响根际微生物的多样性,缓解烤烟连作障碍;根际微生物能够适应根际微环境的变化,对烤烟的生长具有一定促进作用。【目的】研究不同生长时期烤烟K326与5种香料植物间作模式下烤烟根际土细菌种群多样性,从生物多样性角度比较不同时期、不同间作模式的差异,探究烤烟根际微生物的适应性及功能。【方法】以不同生长期、不同香料植物间作模式下烤烟根际土为研究对象,设计纯培养方法对根际细菌进行分离及16S rRNA基因测序,研究不同种植期、不同间作模式下根际土细菌多样性,并挑选代表菌株进行烟碱、Cr6+耐受及促生性质检测。【结果】蕾薹期、开花结果期、采摘期烤烟K326与5种香料植物间作模式下植物根际土蕴含丰富的细菌资源,共分离到707株细菌,分布于70个属。蕾薹期烤烟根际土细菌的香农指数变化为:W(4.0791917)2GAY(3.8403521)2GDY(3.5145628)2GCKY(3.497 703 4)2GBY (3.447 478 9)2GCY (3.253 409 2)2GEY (3.241 103 4);开花结果期烤烟根际土细菌的香农指数变化为:3GAY(3.6889817)3GCKY(3.4421251)3GBY(3.3531558)3GDY(3.349 171 9)3GEY (3.306 294 5)3GCY (3.305 582 2);采摘期烤烟根际土细菌的香浓指数变化为:5GEY(2.8571028)5GBY(2.4583113)5GAY(2.2718685)5GCKY(2.2102536)5GCY(2.079 441 5)5GDY (0.693 147 2);在不同时期都检测到的细菌类群有节杆菌属(Arthrobacter)、芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus)、短波芽孢杆菌属(Brevibacillus)、短波单胞菌属(Brevundimonas)、微杆菌属(Microbacterium)、类诺卡氏菌属(Nocardioides)、假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、红球菌属(Rhodococcus)、链霉菌属(Streptomyces)和地杆菌属(Terrabacter),大部分代表菌株具有烟碱耐受、Cr6+耐受、固氮、铁载体产生、溶磷、淀粉水解等特性。【结论】不同生长时期、不同间作模式的烤烟根际土中蕴含丰富的细菌类群,Bacillus、Pseudomonas和Streptomyces是烤烟根际土中的优势类群,在烟碱、Cr6+耐受及促生作用方面具有重要应用潜力;香料植物与烤烟间作模式能够改变根际土细菌的多样性;在开花结果期,5种香料植物与烤烟的间作明显增加了土壤根际土可培养细菌的多样性;薄荷、香茅草、香叶天竺葵间作类型在缓解烤烟连作障碍方面具有优势。