A new genus and species of the subtribe Batrisina from western Sarawak, Bryantinus matangus gen. et sp. n., is described, illustrated, and compared with related taxa. In addition, examination of a small series of batrisine material from Thailand revealed a new country record for Cerochusa cilioceps Yin & Nomura, which was previously known only from the island of Hainan in southern China.
The Oriental pselaphine genus Horniella Raffray, 1905 (tribe Tyrini: subtribe Somatipionina) is redefined and revised. Twenty-five new species are described: H. centralis Yin & Li, sp. n., H. confragosa Yin & Li, sp. n., H. dao Yin & Li, sp. n., H. hongkongensis Yin & Li, sp. n., H. nakhi Yin & Li, sp. n., H. schuelkei Yin & Li, sp. n., H. sichuanica Yin & Li, sp. n., H. simplaria Yin & Li, sp. n., and H. tianmuensis Yin & Li, sp. n. from China, H. himalayica Yin & Li, sp. n. from Nepal and North India, H. asymmetrica Yin & Li, sp. n., H. burckhardti Yin & Li, sp. n., H. intricata Yin & Li, sp. n., H. kaengkrachan Yin & Li, sp. n., H. khaosabap Yin & Li, sp. n., H. loebli Yin & Li, sp. n., H. phuphaman Yin & Li, sp. n., H. prolixo Yin & Li, sp. n., and H. schwendingeri Yin & Li, sp. n. from Thailand, H. philippina Yin & Li, sp. n. from the Philippines, H. awana Yin & Li, sp. n., H. gigas Yin & Li, sp. n., H. pilosa Yin & Li, sp. n., and H. smetanai Yin & Li, sp. n. from Malaysia, and H. cibodas Yin & Li, sp. n. from Indonesia. The two previously described species, H. hirtella Raffray, 1901 (type species) from Sri Lanka and H. falcis Yin & Li, 2010 from China are redescribed, and a lectotype is designated for H. hirtella. Illustrations of habitus and important diagnostic features, an identification key, and distributional maps for all species are provided. Eleven unidentified species represented only by females are left unnamed. Illustrations of the habitus and the genital complex, and label data of these species are given to facilitate future study. All available data indicates that species of Horniella typically inhabit leaf litter of various kinds of forests, and can be most efficiently collected by sifting and use of Winkler-Moczarski extractors.
A new species, Megatyrus femoralis sp. n., is described from the Koshi Zone, East Nepal, with major diagnostic features illustrated. Megatyrus masumotoi Nomura, Sakchoowong & Chanpaisaeng, originally described from southwestern Thailand, is recorded from the Noring Timur Mountain, West Malaysia. The above data extends the known range of Megatyrus about 1,200 km to the west, and 870 km to the south.
A new genus and new species of the pselaphine tribe Batrisini, Smetanabatrus kinabalu gen. et sp. n., is described from Sabah, East Malaysia. Both sexes of the new species have securiform maxillary palpi, with the male exhibiting extreme abdominal modification. Illustrations of the habitus and major diagnostic features, as well as a discussion on the taxonomic placement of the new taxon is provided. A key to genera of the Batrisini from Borneo is provided.
Horaeomorphus bicornis sp. n., a remarkable species with strongly modified head from Yunnan, Southwest China is described. A distinctly different female from the same locality is also recorded, its identity remains unconfirmed until associated males become available. The previously unknown female of H. hujiayaoi Zhou & Zhang, 2016, is discovered, with its spermatheca and female terminalia illustrated. Horaeomorphus punctatissimus Franz, 1992 is newly recorded from Mount Trus Madi, Malaysia. Two females of H. eumicroides Schaufuss, 1889 were discovered from Singapore, with female terminalia illustrated.
Tmesiphodimerus Coulon and Yin, new genus (Pselaphitae: Tmesiphorini) is proposed for T. sinensis Yin and Coulon, new species from Hainan, South China (type species), and T. malaysianus Coulon and Yin, new species from Perak, West Malaysia. The new taxa are described, with their major diagnostic features illustrated. The taxonomic placement of Tmesiphodimerus is discussed.
This study aimed to investigate the expression of autophagy-related proteins in a mouse model of neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Mice were assigned to one of four groups: an animal experimental model group (NMO-EAE group, given with exogenous IL-17A), Interleukin-17 monoclonal antibody intervention group (NMO-EAE_0IL17inb), No exogenous interleukin-17 enhanced immune intervention group (NMO-EAE_0IL17), and a control group. Behavioral scores were assessed in each group, and the protein expressions of sequestosome 1 (P62), Beclin-1, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K-I), and LC3II/LC3I were detected using Western blotting. In the NMO-EAE_0IL17 group, the expression of Beclin-1 decreased, the LC3II/LC3I ratio was lower, and the expressions of P62, mTOR, and PI3K-I increased; after administration of IL-17A inhibitor into the brain tissue, however, the expression of Beclin-1 increased significantly, along with the LC3II/LC3I ratio, while the expressions of P62, mTOR and PI3K-I protein decreased significantly. In terms of behavioral scores, the scores of optic neuritis and myelitis were more serious, onset occurred earlier and the progress was faster, after the administration of IL-17A. In the mechanism of NMO animal model, IL-17A may regulate autophagy and affect the disease process through the activation of the PI3K-mTOR signaling pathway.
The pressing need for SARS-CoV-2 controls has led to a reassessment of strategies to identify and develop natural product inhibitors of zoonotic, highly virulent, and rapidly emerging viruses. This review article addresses how contemporary approaches involving computational chemistry, natural product (NP) and protein databases, and mass spectrometry (MS) derived target-ligand interaction analysis can be utilized to expedite the interrogation of NP structures while minimizing the time and expense of extraction, purification, and screening in BioSafety Laboratories (BSL)3 laboratories. The unparalleled structural diversity and complexity of NPs is an extraordinary resource for the discovery and development of broad-spectrum inhibitors of viral genera, including Betacoronavirus, which contains MERS, SARS, SARS-CoV-2, and the common cold. There are two key technological advances that have created unique opportunities for the identification of NP prototypes with greater efficiency: (1) the application of structural databases for NPs and target proteins and (2) the application of modern MS techniques to assess protein-ligand interactions directly from NP extracts. These approaches, developed over years, now allow for the identification and isolation of unique antiviral ligands without the immediate need for BSL3 facilities. Overall, the goal is to improve the success rate of NP-based screening by focusing resources on source materials with a higher likelihood of success, while simultaneously providing opportunities for the discovery of novel ligands to selectively target proteins involved in viral infection.