Molecular epidemiology and evolution of worldwide enterovirus 71 strains isolated from 1970 to 2004

Human enterovirus 71 （EV71） is one of the major etiological agents of the hand-foot-and-mouth disease （HFMD） that often causes severe neurological complications. Recently, its outbreaks mainly take place in the torrid zone of the Asia-Pacific region. To study the evolution and genetic variability, we collected 532 EV71 strains with almost complete or complete VP1 sequences （891 nt） isolated worldwide from 1970 to 2004. The pairwise homologies and genetic distances were analyzed. Most strains belong to previously identified genotype B and C. However, a unique strain R13223-1ND-01 appears not to fall into current three genotypes （A, B and C）, and probably represents a new genotype D. Some orphan strains were observed in the genotypes B and C, and their significance in the EV71 evolution was discussed. Moreover, there is a significant co-variance of 6 discrete positions on VP1 （amino acid 43, 58, 164, 184, 240 and 249）. This high co-variability is tightly related with the subgenotypes.     

Nickel accumulation and its effects on the survival rate of Spodoptera litura Fabricius under continuous nickel stress

The artificial diets mixed with various concentrations of nickel were offered to the larvae of the phytophagous insect Spodoptera litura Fabricius for 3 generations. Nickel accumulations in the 6th instar larvae, pupae and newly emerged adults of the corresponding generations of S. litura were investigated by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES), and the effects of nickel accumulations on the survival rate of S. litura were also evaluated by individual rearing. The results showed that nickel accumulated in the 6th instar larvae, pupae and adults of S. litura, and the accu- mulated nickel in all the tested developmental stages within a generation increased with the increase of the nickel doses in the treated diets and showed significant dose-dependent relationship with the nickel doses in the artificial diets. The results also indicated that the nickel accumulations in the 6th instar larvae, pupae, and newly emerged adults from the 3rd generation were higher than those from the 2nd generation, which were also higher than those from the 1st generation. Nickel concentrations in pupae and adults were significantly lower than those in larvae, which indicated that the excessive nickel might be excreted during metamorphosis. Furthermore, larval survival rate, pupation rate and eclosion rate of S. litura in the tested three generations all decreased with the increase of the nickel doses in the treated diets.     

Genetic analysis and gene mapping of a dominant presenescing leaf gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">PSL3</Emphasis> in rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

Leaf senescence as an active process is essential for plant survival and reproduction. However, premature senility is harmful to agricultural production. In this study, a rice mutant, named as psl3 (presescing leaf 3) isolated from EMS-treated Jinhui 10, displays obvious premature senility features both in morphological and physiological level. Genetic analysis showed that mutant trait was controlled by a single dominant gene (PSL3), which was located on rice chromosome 7 between SSR marker c7sr1 and InDel marker ID10 with an interval of 53.5 kb. The result may be useful for the isolation of the PSL3 gene.     

Effects of vegetation height and density on soil temperature variations

Reduction in vegetation cover caused by human activities has a great impact on soil temperature. It is important to assess how soil temperature responds to reduction of vegetation height and density. In this paper we first report the trends of mean annual soil surface and air temperatures recorded at the meteorological stations near the Ecological Research Station for Grassland Farming (ERSGF) from 1961 to 2007, then we setup an experiment using reed (Phragmites australis) stalks with different heights and densities to simulate effects of different vegetation height and density on soil and air temperatures. The warming rates of the mean annual soil and air temperatures were 0.043 and 0.041C a 1 , respectively. Changes of soil temperature were characterized by both increased mean annual maximum and minimum soil temperatures. At the experimental site, mean daily temperature, mean daily maximum soil and air temperatures increased significantly. In contrast, mean daily minimum soil temperature increased significantly while mean daily minimum air temperature decreased significantly as the height and density of reed stalks reduced during the experimental period. Mean diurnal soil temperature ranges were smaller than mean diurnal air temperature ranges. These results highlight that the importance of vegetation cover on soil and air temperatures.     

Effects of dietary nickel on detoxification enzyme activities in the midgut of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spodoptera litura</Emphasis> Fabricius larvae

Nickel accumulated in midugt of Spodoptera litura Fabricius could induce the expression of metallothionein, one of the most important detoxification proteins in organisms. In the present study, the effects of dietary nickel on the activities of detoxification enzymes, such as carboxylesterase （CarE） and giutathione S-transferase （GST） in the midgut of S. litura larvae have been studied to get an understanding of the detoxification mechanisms of S. litura larvae to excessive nickel. Results showed that CarE activities in the midgut of the 5th instar larvae decreased at lower levels of nickel （≤5 mg/kg）, while increased with increasing nickel doses at higher levels of nickel （≥10 mg/kg） exposure in successive 3 generations. CarE activities of the 6th instar larvae were also characterized as inhibited at low levels of nickel exposure, and improved at higher levels in the 1st generation. CarE activities of 6th instar larvae in the 2nd and 3rd generations were all lower than that in control. However, GST activities in the midgut of the 5th and 6th instar larvae all increased with increasing nickel doses （1 --20 mg/kg） in diets.     

携带主效落粒基因的水稻染色体片段代换系Z481的鉴定及和SH6(t)定位

落粒性是水稻非常重要的农艺性状,适度落粒有利于减少产量损失和水稻机械化收割,提高生产效率.因此鉴定落粒基因对水稻生产具有重要意义.本研究以日本晴为受体亲本、优良恢复系R225为供体亲本,采用高代回交和SSR标记辅助选择相结合的方法,鉴定了一个携带易落粒主效单基因的水稻染色体片段代换系Z481.Z481含有4个染色体代换片段,位于第1,3,6染色体上,其代换片段长度分别为8.30,6.17,3.12和10.79 Mb,平均为7.10 Mb.与受体日本晴相比,Z481的株高、穗长、倒一节间长、倒二叶宽显著降低,剑叶宽和结实率显著增加,其他重要农艺性状如叶长、有效穗数、每穗粒数和千粒重均无显著差异.扫描电子显微镜观察表明Z481的护颖和枝梗之间的离层在成熟时期已被完全降解,而日本晴的离层完整,在细胞学上解释了Z481易落粒性产生的原因.进一步利用日本晴与Z481杂交产生的F_1和F_2群体对易落粒基因进行了遗传分析和分子定位.该易落粒性状受单基因隐性调控,最终将该基因定位于第6染色体RM253和ZTQ53之间824 kb的区域,暂命名为SH6(t).目前,在第6染色体尚无落粒基因克隆的报道.由于染色体片段代换系除代换片段外与受体亲本的遗传背景一致,且Z481易落粒遗传行为简单,基本未携带育种不利性状.因此,本研究无论对SH6(t)的克隆,还是进行基因聚合育种培育适度落粒新品种均具有重大利用价值.     

Mode of débitage and technical cognition of hominids at the Guanyindong site

Exploring and interpreting the mode of cognition and behavioral patterns of prehistoric hunter-gatherers is always one of the main goals of current Paleolithic research. In the 1940s, French prehistorians proposed the technological method for studying lithic assemblages which opened a brand-new perspective on the prehistoric domain. In the 1960s, French ethnographer and anthropologist Andre Leroi-Gourhan proposed the concept ＂chaine operatoire＂ and established the theory of lithic technological study. After the 1980s, the concept ＂chaine operatoire＂ was substituted for two different but complementary concepts： techno-cognition and techno-economy, which contributed not only to revealing the technical knowledge and know-how applied during lithic production but also to interpreting the technical behavior of prehistoric hunter-gatherers from social and economic viewpoints. The lithic technological study of the Guanyindong site, presented in this paper, was carried out for the first time by applying lithic technological method developed by French prehistorians to the Chinese materials. Our analytical results demonstrated that the debitage system of Guanyindong is quite distinct from the concept Levallois largely used in Europe, Near-East and Africa. The differentiation between these two debitage modes may contribute to exploring and interpreting the relationship in Middle Paleolithic between China and Europe, Near-East and Africa.     

Metallothionein expression induced by nickel accumulation in the midgut of Spodoptera litura Fabricius larvae exposed to nickel

Metallothionein expression induced by nickel accumulation in the midgut of Spodoptera litura Fabri- cius larvae was investigated by exposing S. litura larvae to the artificial diets amended with different doses of nickel for 3 generations. Nickel accumulations in the midgut of 6th instar larvae were detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES), and the induced metal- lothionein expression in the midgut of 5th and 6th instar larvae in 120 h were quantified using cad- mium-hemoglobin total saturation methods. The accumulated nickel in the midgut of the 6th instar larvae within a generation increased with the increase of the nickel doses in the treated diets and showed significant dose-dependence with the nickel doses in diets. Metallothioneins induced by nickel accumulated in the larval midgut also increased with nickel doses in diets and with the increasing stressing time in a generation. Results also suggested that the metallothionein expression was differ- ent with the time of S. litura larvae stressed by nickel.     

The interaction between the membrane-proximal external region and the N-trimer region of HIV-1 gp41: Involvement in viral fusion

The membrane proximal external region (MPER) of gp41 is extremely conserved among diverse HIV-1 variants, implying its important role in viral infection. Interestingly, two of the most broadly neutralizing antibodies, 2F5 and 4E10, specifically recognize this region. Our previous study demonstrated that the antigenicity and immunogenicity of 4E10 epitope are affected by remodeling gp41 fusion core, suggesting that the MPER may be associated with gp41 core and involved in gp41-mediated membrane fusion. Here we measured the binding activity of 4E10 epitope peptide (D4E10P) with various gp41 core-derived peptides and found that the N-trimer region in a construct designated N-trimer-6HB interacted significantly with D4E10P. Using N-trimer-6HB to screen a phage library, we identified a motif (WF) located in 4E10 epitope that may play a certain role in the interaction of gp41 MPER with the N-trimer in gp41 fusion core and, we thus speculated upon the potential involvement of MPER in the fusion process between viral envelope and target cell membrane. Supported by National Key Basic Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB914402)