The principal characteristics of the lithosphere of China

The lithospheric structure of China and its adjacent area is very complex and is marked by several prominent characteristics. Firstly, China＇s continental crust is thick in the west but thins to the east, and thick in the south but thins to the north. Secondly, the continental crust of the Qinghai--Tibet Plateau has an average thickness of 60-65 km with a maximum thickness of 80 km, whereas in eastern China the average thickness is 30-35 km, with a minimum thickness of only 5 km in the center of the South China Sea. The average thickness of continental crust in China is 47.6 km, which greatly exceeds the global average thickness of 39.2 km. Thirdly, as with the crust, the lithosphere of China and its adja- cent areas shows a general pattern of thicker in the west and south, and thinner in the east and north. The lithosphere of the Qinghai--Tibet Plateau and northwestern China has an average thickness of 165 kin, with a maximum thickness of 180--200 km in the central and eastern parts of the Tarim Basin, Pamir, and Changdu areas. In contrast, the vast areas to the east of the Da Hinggan Ling-Taihang-Wuling Mountains, including the marginal seas, are characterized by lithospheric thicknesses of only 50-85 kin. Fourthly, in western China the lithosphere and asthenosphere behave as a ＂layered structure＂, reflecting their dynamic background of plate collision and convergence. The lithosphere and asthenosphere in eastern China display a ＂block mosaic structure＂, where the lithosphere is thin and the asthenosphere is very thick, a pattern reflecting the consequences of crustal extension and an upsurge of asthenospheric materials. The latter is responsible for a huge low velocity anomaly at a depth of 85--250 km beneath East Asia and the western Pacific Ocean. Finally, in China there is an age structure of ＂older in the upper layers and younger in the lower layers＂ between both the upper and lower crusts and between the crust and the lithospheric mantle.

Nanoparticle-based multivalent human antibodies offer potent and broad neutralization against Omicron sublineages

Dear Editor As of January 2023,coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)has caused more than 6.7 million deaths,with SARS-CoV-2 variants continuing to alter the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic.Indeed,the prevalence of the newly emergent Omicron sublineages,particularly BA.4/5 and XBB,has highlighted the critical need for the design and production of broadly potent neutralization antibodies to efficiently combat SARS-CoV-2 variants.Neutralizing antibodies(nAbs)XMA01,XMA04,and XMA09,which target noncompeting antigenic sites in RBD(receptor binding domain),exhibit high neutralization potency against earlier disease variants(Supplementary Fig.1a–d),as previously reported by us.

新型抗体标志物P85-Ab提升鼻咽癌筛查效能

恶性肿瘤严重威胁人类健康[1],早诊早治是提高肿瘤患者长期生存率的关键[2,3].世界卫生组织(World Health Organization,WHO)在《癌症早期诊断指南》中指出,约1/3的恶性肿瘤可以通过早诊早治而降低疾病负担[4].研究显示,随着肿瘤筛查的普及,美国肺癌、结直肠癌、乳腺癌、宫颈癌的死亡率均显著下降[2].WHO最新的《肿瘤筛查简明指南》建议对乳腺癌、宫颈癌和结直肠癌进行筛查[5].除此之外,不同国家还根据各国的肿瘤疾病谱及疾病负担拓展了筛查癌种,如肺癌、前列腺癌、胃癌等[6,7].我国从2004年开始也建立早诊早治示范基地,并制定了《癌症早诊早治项目技术方案》[8].

靶向蛋白降解技术及其在疾病治疗中的研究进展

靶向蛋白降解(Targeted protein degradation,TPD)技术利用细胞内天然存在的两大蛋白降解系统:泛素化-蛋白酶体系统与溶酶体降解途径实现对疾病相关蛋白的特异、高效降解,从而达到疾病治疗的效果。相较于传统的小分子抑制剂,基于TPD技术的药物在靶点蛋白的选择上限制性更小,能够作用于"无成药性"的蛋白,从而拥有更为丰富的靶点库。与在基因、m RNA层面干扰蛋白表达的技术相比,TPD药物具有特异、快速以及不受蛋白翻译后修饰约束等特点。在过去的20年里,基于TPD技术的各类降解系统层出不穷,相关研究成果在近些年呈爆发式增长,更令人兴奋的是,2019年两种基于TPD技术的治疗性药物进入临床阶段并初步显示出良好的治疗效果。虽然TPD技术的发展处于起步阶段,目前仍存在诸多缺陷,但凭借其独有的优势,在不久的将来,该技术必将成为药物研发的主要手段之一,同时,也将给学术界和产业界带来前所未有的机遇。本综述详细介绍了基于TPD技术的不同降解系统的研究现状,阐述了各系统在疾病治疗中的应用,系统地总结了各自的优势和不足,以期为TPD技术在科学研究和药物研发中的进一步应用提供理论指导。

Highly efficient heritable genome editing in wheat using an RNA virus and bypassing tissue culture.

Genome editing provides novel strategies for improving plant traits,but relies on current genetic transformation and plant regeneration procedures,which can be inefficient.We have engineered a barley stripe mosaic virus(BSMV)-based sgRNA delivery vector(BSMV-sg)that is effective in performing heritable genome editing in Cas9-transgenic wheat plants.Mutated progenies were present in the next generation at frequencies ranging from 12.9%to 100%in three different wheat varieties,and 53.8%to 100%of mutants were virus-free.We also achieved multiplex mutagenesis in progeny using a pool of BSMV-sg vectors harboring different sgRNAs.Furthermore,we devised a virus-induced transgene-free editing procedure(VITF-Edit)to generate Cas9-free wheat mutants by crossing BSMV-infected Cas9-transgenic wheat pollen with wild-type wheat.Our study provides a robust,convenient and tissue culture-free approach for genome editing in wheat through virus infection.

An Intra-Oceanic Subduction System Influenced by Ridge Subduction in the Diyanmiao Subduction Accretionary Complex of the Xar Moron Area,Eastern Margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

This study focuses on the geology,geochemistry,Sr-Nd isotopes and their tectonic settings of three types of basalts in Diyanmiao ophiolite in the Xar Moron area located on the eastern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.Type I basalts are oceanic tholeiites with a depleted light rare earth element(LREE)pattern,which are similar to the typical N-mid-oceanic ridge basalt(MORB)and suggests that they were formed at a mid-oceanic ridge.The initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of Type I basalts range from 0.703966 to 0.705276 and theεNd(t)values are from 16.49 to 17.15,indicating that they were derived from a depleted mantle source.Type II basalts belong to the medium-potassium calc-akaline series and have the geochem-ical characteristics of Nb-enriched basalt(NEB)with high Nb content(14.5 ppm)and strong enrichment in LREEs,implying that they were created by the partial melting of mantle wedge peridotite that previously metasomatized by slab melts.Type III basalts are high-Al basalt(HAB)with high-Al contents(Al_(2)0_(3)=16.75 wt.%-18.00 wt.%),distinct Nb depletion and high Th/Yb ratios.Thus they were likely gen-erated in a normal island-arc setting.Therefore,the association of MORB,NEB,and HAB in the study area may be due to the subduction of a mid-oceanic ridge,and the Diyanmiao ophiolite is proposed to be formed in the forearc setting of a mid-oceanic ridge subduction system.

轮状病毒VP4~*高聚体的制备及其免疫保护性评价

在前期工作中发现,截短的轮状病毒VP4~*蛋白(aa26–476)在大肠杆菌中能够以可溶形式表达,且在小鼠模型中具有较高的免疫原性和免疫保护性。本研究通过颗粒化进一步提高VP4~*蛋白的免疫保护性。通过37℃水浴加热处理24h使VP4~*蛋白多聚化,通过高效液相色谱、透射电镜、分析超离等分析VP4~*蛋白颗粒化程度,通过酶联免疫吸附试验分析颗粒化对VP4~*蛋白与中和抗体反应性的影响;通过差示量热法分析VP4~*高聚体的热稳定性;最后,通过小鼠母传抗体模型研究颗粒化对VP4~*免疫原性和免疫保护性的影响。结果表明,VP4~*蛋白高聚体结构均一,并且相比三聚体,具有更高热稳定性和中和抗体结合活性;在内毒素<20 EU/mg的条件下,与铝佐剂混合,刺激小鼠产生更高滴度的中和抗体;对轮状病毒导致的腹泻具有更高的免疫保护性。综上所述,VP4~*高聚体的研究为轮状病毒基因工程亚单位疫苗的研制提供了更广阔的思路。

Stratigraphic Framework and Microfacies of the Triassic Lower Karamay Formation in Districts Ⅰ,Ⅲ, NW Junggar, China

The Triassic Lower Karamay Formation（T2k1） is one of the main oil-bearing stratigraphic units in the northwestern margin of Junggar Basin（NW Junggar）, China. Based on an integrated investigation of outcrops, well logs and seismic data of NW Junggar, the Lower Karamay Formation is subdivided into 2 sets, 6 beds and 13 layers. Also, it is considered that the alluvial fan, the braided river, the meandering river and the shore-shallow lacustrine were developed during the early period of Middle Triassic in Karamay districts Ⅰ, Ⅲ. The Lower Karamay Formation deposits the following 9 sedimentary subfacies： the lower fan, the middle fan, the upper fan, the braided channel, the overflow bank, the river flood of braided river, the meandering channel, the river flood of meandering river, the shore-shallow lacustrine. Seventeen microfacies such as the braided stream channel, the alluvial sand floodplain, the alluvial glutenite floodplain, the water channel, the channel bar etc. have been identified in subfacies as well. The thickness of strata is firstly up-thinning and then thickening upward to the top, it is a process from large-scale lacustrine transgression to partly lacustrine regression. Furthermore, the microfacies planar distributing law proves that the remaining oil may enrich along the margin of microfacies because of the planar microfacies changes. Therefore, this research is beneficial for searching remaining oil in NW Junggar and providing information to the project ＂The Secondary Exploration＂ of PetroChina.

New discovery of high-affinity SARS-CoV-2 spike S2 protein binding peptide selected by PhIP-Seq

Dear Editor,Theworld had suffered pandemics of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2.At the time ofwriting,COVID-19 is still widely spreading inmany countries and regions,and by June 14,2022,totally 532,887,351 cases,including 6,307,021 deaths,were reported globally(WHO,https://covid19.who.int/table).Powerful measures,such as prophylactic and therapeutic interventions against the virus,are in urgent need for COVID-19 control and prevention.The spike protein,which is expressed on the virus surface,is the key determinant of viral-host interaction(Ng et al.,2021)and mediates the virus entry.