Xiangyang He

Although bats are known to harbor Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)-related viruses, the role of bats in the evolutionary origin and pathway remains obscure. We identified a novel MERS-CoV-related betacoronavirus, Hp-BatCoV HKU25, from Chinese pipistrelle bats. Although it is closely related to MERS-CoV in most genome regions, its spike protein occupies a phylogenetic position between that of Ty-BatCoV HKU4 and Pi-BatCoV HKU5. Because Ty-BatCoV HKU4 but not Pi-BatCoV HKU5 can use the MERS-CoV receptor human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4) for cell entry, we tested the ability of Hp-BatCoV HKU25 to bind and use hDPP4. The HKU25-receptor binding domain (RBD) can bind to hDPP4 protein and hDPP4-expressing cells, but it does so with lower efficiency than that of MERS-RBD. Pseudovirus assays showed that HKU25-spike can use hDPP4 for entry to hDPP4-expressing cells, although with lower efficiency than that of MERS-spike and HKU4-spike. Our findings support a bat origin of MERS-CoV and suggest that bat CoV spike proteins may have evolved in a stepwise manner for binding to hDPP4.

A new, very short-lived neutron-deficient isotope $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$ was produced in the complete-fusion reaction $^{187}\mathrm{Re}(^{40}\mathrm{Ar},5\mathrm{n})^{222}\mathrm{Np}$, and observed at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. The new isotope $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$ was identified by employing a recoil-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ correlation measurement, and six $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay chains were established for it. The decay properties of $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$ with ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=10016(33)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$ and ${T}_{1/2}=38{0}_{\ensuremath{-}110}^{+260}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{ns}$ were determined experimentally. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay systematics of Np isotopes is improved by adding the new data for $^{222}\mathrm{Np}$, which validates the $N=126$ shell effect in Np isotopes. The evolution of the $N=126$ shell closure is discussed in the neutron-deficient nuclei up to Np within the framework of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay reduced width.

Abstract Excessive sugar consumption could lead to high blood glucose levels that are harmful to mammalian health and life. Despite consuming large amounts of sugar‐rich food, fruit bats have a longer lifespan, raising the question of how these bats overcome potential hyperglycemia. We investigated the change of blood glucose level in nectar‐feeding bats ( Eonycteris spelaea ) and fruit‐eating bats ( Cynopterus sphinx ) via adjusting their sugar intake and time of flight. We found that the maximum blood glucose level of C. sphinx was higher than 24 mmol/L that is considered to be pathological in other mammals. After C. sphinx bats spent approximately 75% of their time to fly, their blood glucose levels dropped markedly, and the blood glucose of E. spelaea fell to the fast levels after they spent 70% time of fly. Thus, the level of blood glucose elevated with the quantity of sugar intake but declined with the time of flight. Our results indicate that high‐intensive flight is a key regulator for blood glucose homeostasis during foraging. High‐intensive flight may confer benefits to the fruit bats in foraging success and behavioral interactions and increases the efficiency of pollen and seed disposal mediated by bats.

Bats are reservoirs of various viruses. The widely distributed cave nectar bat (<i>Eonycteris spelaea</i>) is known to carry both filoviruses and coronaviruses. However, the potential transmission of theses bat viruses to humans is not fully understood. In this study, we tracked 16 <i>E. spelaea</i> bats in Mengla County, Yunnan Province, China, using miniaturized GPS devices to investigate their movements and potential contact with humans. Furthermore, to determine the prevalence of coronavirus and filovirus infections, we screened for the nucleic acids of the Měnglà virus (MLAV) and two coronaviruses (GCCDC1-CoV and HKU9-CoV) in anal swab samples taken from bats and for antibodies against these viruses in human serum samples. None of the serum samples were found to contain antibodies against the bat viruses. The GPS tracking results showed that the bats did not fly during the daytime and rarely flew to residential areas. The foraging range of individual bats also varied, with a mean cumulative nightly flight distance of 25.50 km and flight speed of up to 57.4 km/h. Taken together, these results suggest that the risk of direct transmission of GCCDC1-CoV, HKU9-CoV, and MLAV from <i>E. spelaea</i> bats to humans is very low under natural conditions.