From the beginning of 2002 and 2012, severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) crossed the species barriers to infect humans, causing thousands of infections and hundreds of deaths, respectively. Currently, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which has become the cause of the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), was discovered. Until 18 February 2020, there were 72 533 confirmed COVID-19 cases (including 10 644 severe cases) and 1872 deaths in China. SARS-CoV-2 is spreading among the public and causing substantial burden due to its human-to-human transmission. However, the intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2 is still unclear. Finding the possible intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2is imperative to prevent further spread of the epidemic. In this study, we used systematic comparison and analysis to predict the interaction between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of coronavirus spike protein and the host receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The interaction between the key amino acids of S protein RBD and ACE2 indicated that, other than pangolins and snakes, as previously suggested, turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii, Chelonia mydas, and Pelodiscus sinensis) may act as the potential intermediate hosts transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to humans.

The regulation of stomatal lineage cell development has been extensively investigated. However a comprehensive characterization of this biological process based on single-cell transcriptome analysis has not yet been reported. Here, we performed RNA-seq on over 12,844 individual cells from the cotyledons of five-day-old Arabidopsis seedlings. We identified 11 cell clusters corresponding mostly to cells at specific stomatal developmental stages with a series of new marker genes. Comparative analysis of genes with the highest variable expression in these cell clusters revealed three transcriptional networks that regulate the development of mesophyll and guard cells, as well as the differentiation from protodermal to guard mother cells. We investigated the developmental dynamics of marker genes via pseudo-time analysis which revealed potential interactions between them. The identification of several novel marker genes suggests new regulatory mechanisms during development of stomatal cell lineage. .

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanism underlying HHcy-aggravated vascular injury remains unclear. Here we show that the aggravation of abdominal aortic aneurysm by HHcy is abolished in mice with genetic deletion of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor and in mice treated with an AT1 blocker. We find that homocysteine directly activates AT1 receptor signalling. Homocysteine displaces angiotensin II and limits its binding to AT1 receptor. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer analysis reveals distinct conformational changes of AT1 receptor upon binding to angiotensin II and homocysteine. Molecular dynamics and site-directed mutagenesis experiments suggest that homocysteine regulates the conformation of the AT1 receptor both orthosterically and allosterically by forming a salt bridge and a disulfide bond with its Arg167 and Cys289 residues, respectively. Together, these findings suggest that strategies aimed at blocking the AT1 receptor may mitigate HHcy-associated aneurysmal vascular injuries.

A mid-infrared spectroscopic method was developed for the simultaneous and quantitative determination of total protein, carbohydrate and lipid contents of microalgal cells. Based on a chemometric approach, measured FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectra from algal cells were reconstructed by a partial least square algorithm, using the spectra of the reference substances to determine their relative contribution to the overall cell spectrum. From this specific absorption, absolute macromolecular cell composition [pg cell(-1)] can be calculated using calibration curves, which have been validated by independent biochemical methods. The future potential of this method for photosynthesis research is shown by its application to follow time-resolved changes in the cellular composition of microalgae during an illumination period of several hours. We show how the macromolecular composition can be investigated by FTIR spectroscopy methods. This can substantially increase the efficiency of screening processes like bioreactor monitoring and may be beneficial in metabolic engineering of algal cells.