来自禽流感病毒与表观遗传学的挑战

Challenges From Epigenetics and Avian Influenza Virus

近年来,高致病性禽流感病毒及表观遗传学是广受关注的生物医学领域。《中国科学C辑:生命科学》(Science in China Series C-Life Sciences)在2009年连续发表了两个专题,对两个研究领域的现状及发展态势,特别是当前一些具有挑战性的问题,进行了综合评述。表观遗传学专题包括三个论题:a.迄今对组蛋白和非组蛋白甲基化的认识和了解,重点论述了组蛋白的甲基标记及去甲基化酶对组蛋白甲基化的动力学调控;b.miRNA的生物发生及其在转录后基因沉默的功能作用;c.植物中RNA指导的DNA甲基化和去甲基化。禽流感病毒专题重点综合评述了高致病性人H5N1禽流感病毒研究领域的现状及其挑战,包括流行病学,疾病控制及病毒作用机理。有5篇评述全面总结了高致病性禽流感A(H5N1)感染,特别是人患禽流感,在中国大陆和香港特别行政区的发现及处置全过程,包括疫情沿起和传播,临床诊断,病毒特性,以及政府和公共卫生机构的政策和措施,为有效预防今后可能再度发生类似的疫情提供了可贵的实际经验。该专题还包括了4篇述评和研究论文,对病毒种间传播的宿主原因及感染人的分子病理学,流感病毒核蛋白(NP)的三维结构及其与RNA的相互作用,以及流感病毒RNA聚合酶PA亚基的三维结构与功能,进行了深度解析,并讨论了基于结构的抗流感药物研发前景.

Epigenetics and avian influenza virus are two research fields subject to intensive studies and attracted much attention in recent years. Several interesting reviews and research articles well-organized into these topics were published in the 2009 edition No.4 and No.5 of Science in China Series C-Life Sciences （SCLS）. The topic “ Molecular epigenetics： dawn of a new era of biomedical research” consists of three review papers, which summarized the latest advances and perspectives in three different fields of molecular epigenetics, including the inheritance ofhistone methyl marks as well as the dynamic regulation ofhistone methylation by demethylation, the microRNA biogenesis and the mechanism by which microRNA function in post-transcriptional gene silencing, and RNA-directed DNA methylation and demethylation in plants. The topic entitled “ The challenges of avian influenza virus： mechanism, epidemiology and control” contains seven review articles, one research paper and one website introduction. These papers concentrated not only the clinical aspects of avian influenza virus infection in China, but also the basic research in this field, which gave us a full picture on the spread of H5N1 virus, as well as how to combat it in China. These articles on H5N1 would be highly meaningful not only for scientists but also for ordinary people.