Latest ArticlesWe obtained 332 coding sequences from the Polyporus umbellatus transcriptome based on the BLASTx and ESTScan analyses. The codon usage patterns of P. umbellatus were calculated and statistically analyzed using CodonW. The results showed that the average GC content of genes was 53.57% and the average GC3 content was 57.98%, suggesting that genes favored codons ending with G or C. The effective number of codons (ENC) value range from 38.46 to 61, which indicates that these genes have low codon usage bias. The neutrality plot and ENC-plot analysis revealed that many factors such as mutation and selective pressure play an important role in shaping codon usage bias in P. umbellatus genes. Twenty-two optimal codons were identified as being biased toward codons ending with G or C using the high expression superior codon analysis method. This study will lay a foundation for future research on genetic engineering and molecular evolution in P. umbellatus.
Dendrobium moniliforme is an important source of Dendrobii Caulis and one of the main sources of authentic Fengdou. The complete chloroplast genome of D. moniliforme was sequenced using Illumina Hiseq technology and its gene map and genomic structure were analyzed. Then comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of D. moniliforme and its related species were conducted. The chloroplast genome of D. moniliforme was 150 754 bp in length and had a typical quadripartite structure with a large single copy (LSC, 84 818 bp), a small single copy (SSC, 14 124 bp) and two inverted repeats (IRs, 25 906 bp each). A total of 123 chloroplast genes were annotated, including 77 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes, of which 17 genes contained introns. Bioinformatics analysis identified 53 SSR sites, most of which had A-T base preference. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the chloroplast genome sequences of 33 Dendrobium species. The results showed that Dendrobium complex species were clustered in a single large branch, indicating that they were closely related. This study provides a scientific basis for the identification of D. moniliforme and the phylogenetic relationship of D. moniliforme complex species necessary for Herbgenomics research.
The epidemic caused by coronavirus poses a serious threat to human health, but there is no specific drug or vaccine for the treatment of this kind of virus infection. Herein, this article selects typical case studies in recent years and reviews the medicinal chemistry strategies of anti-SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and other coronavirus drugs from the perspective of medicinal chemistry, and tries to provide some clues to current drug research againstSARS-CoV-2.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsid protein plays an important role in the life cycle, thus becoming an ideal target for drug design. Capsid protein inhibitors can exert a synergistic antiviral effect with nucleoside drugs by inhibiting the replication of HBV. This paper reviews the research progress of capsid protein inhibitors with different structural types from the perspective of medicinal chemistry.
Hepatitis B has become one of the major diseases which seriously affect people's health and social development. Hepatitis B, with high incidence and long disease course, cannot be cured by approved drugs such as the nucleoside analogues. Therefore, the discovery of safe and efficient novel HBV inhibitors is of great significance. From the point of view of medicinal chemistry, we summarized and discussed current endeavours towards the discovery and development of anti-HBV agents of RNase H and other novel target inhibitors with various scaffolds or distinct mechanisms of action, besides the existing capsid protein inhibitors.
At present, the most widely used anti-herpesviruses drugs are acyclovir (ACV) and its derivatives, but the emergence of herpesvirus resistance to these drugs forces people to continue to seek new anti-herpesviruses drugs. More and more new targets and inhibitors against herpesviruses have been discovered, one reason is the in-depth study of the biological characteristics and pathogenic mechanism of herpesviruses, and the other is the rapid development of new drug design and screening technology. Therefore, there are more options for the treatment of herpes infections. This review summarizes the representative achievements in the field of anti-herpesviruses drugs in recent years.
At present, the anti-HCMV (human cytomegalovirus) drugs have some problems, such as moderate activity, poor bioavailability, which urge people to develop new anti-HCMV drugs. With the continuous study on the pathogenesis and biological characteristics of HCMV and the rapid development of new drug design strategies, new generation of anti-HCMV targets and drugs have been identified. This review selects the most representative research examples in recent years, and summarizes the new targets and research progress of anti-HCMV drugs from the perspective of medicinal chemistry.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main pathogen causing respiratory infections in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Currently, ribavirin and the humanized monoclonal antibody palivizumab are commonly used for lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV. However, their clinical application has been limited by their efficacy, economy and safety. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new RSV inhibitors to meet the needs of clinical prevention and treatment. This paper selects typical research cases and reviews the research progress of different target inhibitors from the perspective of medicinal chemistry.
The outbreak of the influenza viruses (IFV) caused significant harm to our health and life. Human infections caused by pathogenic avian influenza virus (AIV) have continually brought great panic and death threats to people all over the world. With the in-depth study of the biological characteristics of influenza viruses and the rapid development of drug discovery screening technology, a new generation of anti-influenza drug targets and their inhibitors have been continuously discovered, providing more options for the treatment of influenza. From the point of view of medicinal chemistry, this review summarizes and discusses current endeavours towards the discovery and development of novel inhibitors and also provides examples illustrating new methodologies that contribute to the identification of novel anti-influenza drugs.
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a kind of mosquito-borne flavivirus. ZIKV infection initially shows mild symptoms on patients, but will lead to severe neurological complications (such as Guillain-Barré syndrome) in the end. Meanwhile, pregnant women are sensitive to ZIKV, since the viruses may cause microcephaly. In 2015, after the epidemic in Brazil, ZIKV draws the public attention around the world because of its increased virulence and rapid dissemination. However, there is no approved specific anti-ZIKV drugs at present. This review summarizes progress on anti-zika virus drug research and provides prospects in this field.
No. 86 Xueyuan South Road, Haidian District, Beijing
010-62662699(Operation and Technical Support)
qkjq@cast.org.cn
Copyright © 2025 China Association for Science and Technology. All rights reserved. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply.
Sponsored by the Office of the Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization of CAST, and supported by Science and Technology Review Publishing House
