Hoping Llamas Will Become Coronavirus Heroes
愿美洲驼成为新冠疫情中的英雄
--------From YLYK 每日外刊精读专辑
Winter is a 4-year-old chocolate-colored llama with spindly legs, ever-so-slightly askew ears and envy-inducing eyelashes. Some scientists hope she might be an important figure in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
温特是只4岁大的巧克力色美洲驼,有着细长的双腿、略微倾斜的耳朵和令人羡慕的睫毛。一些科学家希望她能成为对抗新冠病毒的重要角色。
She was chosen by researchers to participate in a series of virus studies involving both SARS and MERS. Finding that her antibodies staved off those infections, the scientists posited that those same antibodies could also neutralize the new virus that causes Covid-19. They were right, and published their results in the journal Cell.
温特被研究人员选中,参与了包括非典和中东呼吸综合症在内的一系列病毒研究。科学家们发现,美洲驼的抗体可以阻挡这类病毒的感染,因此他们假设这些抗体也可以中和引发新冠肺炎的病毒。科学家们的假设是对的,且研究结果已在《细胞》期刊发表。
Humans produce only one kind of antibody, made of two types of protein chains — heavy and light — that together form a Y shape. Heavy-chain proteins span the entire Y, while light-chain proteins touch only the Y’s arms. Llamas, on the other hand, produce two types of antibodies. One of those antibodies is similar in size and constitution to human antibodies. But the other is much smaller; it’s only about 25 percent the size of human antibodies. The llama’s antibody still forms a Y, but its arms are much shorter because it doesn’t have any light-chain proteins.
人类只产生一种抗体,由两种蛋白链组成——重链和轻链——共同组成一个Y型结构。蛋白重链贯穿整个Y型结构,而蛋白轻链只依附在Y型结构的“臂部”。另一方面,美洲驼产生两种抗体。其中一种抗体的大小和结构与人类抗体相似。但另一种抗体要小得多,只有人类抗体大小的25%。美洲驼的抗体仍然构成Y型,但其“臂部”要短得多,因为其中不含蛋白轻链。
This more diminutive antibody can access tinier pockets and crevices on spike proteins — the proteins that allow viruses like the novel coronavirus to break into host cells and infect us — that human antibodies cannot. That can make it more effective in neutralizing viruses.
这种更微小的抗体可以进入刺突蛋白上更小的囊和缝隙——刺突蛋白可以让像新冠病毒这样的病毒侵入宿主细胞并感染我们——而人类抗体则不能。这样便可更有效地中和病毒。
生词好句
llama UK /ˈlɑːmə/ US /ˈlɑːmə/ n. 美洲驼
美洲驼,原产自南美洲。
在西班牙语中,读作/yɑːmə/。
复数:llamas
chocolate-colored adj. 巧克力色的
构词法:
某种带颜色的物品 + "-colored" = 某种颜色的
cherry-colored lipstick 樱桃色的口红
coffee-colored dress 咖啡色的长裙
brown adj. 棕色的
brunet adj. 深褐色的
spindly UK /ˈspɪndli/ US /ˈspɪndli/ adj. 细长纤弱的(常用来描述身型,尤其是腿形)
I do have rather spindly legs.
我的腿确实很细。
ever-so-slightly adv. 非常轻微地
ever so 非常,极其
askew UK /əˈskjuː/ US /əˈskjuː/ adj. 歪斜的
envy-inducing adj. 惹人艳羡的
envy n. 嫉妒
induce vt. 引起,招惹
the envy-inducing voice 惹人羡慕的声音
in the fight against sth. 抗击某事
in the fight against procrastination 与拖延症的对抗中
novel UK /ˈnɒvəl/ US /ˈnɑːvəl/ adj. 新的
stave off 避开/挡住/延缓某坏事的发生(avoid sth. bad or dangerous)
Enterprises are making effort to stave off bankruptcy.
企业在努力避免破产。
Governments are managing to stave off depression.
政府在努力避免经济萧条。
infection UK /ɪnˈfekʃən/ US /ɪnˈfekʃən/ n. 感染
posit UK /ˈpɒzɪt/ US /ˈpɑːzɪt/ vt. 提出假设
neutralize UK /ˈnjuːtrəlaɪz/ US /ˈnuːtrəlaɪz/ vt. 使……失效;中和
词义辨析:
stave off 强调成功阻挡……的结果
neutralize 指出使……失效的原理
Cell n. (期刊名)《细胞》
Cell《细胞》是全世界最权威的学术杂志之一,发表的都是顶尖科研成果。与期刊Nature《自然》和Science《科学》合称 CNS。
be made of sth. 由某物组成
Our lives are made of ups and downs.
我们的生活充满了起伏。
Reality is made of hopes and disappointments.
希望和失望在现实生活中并存。
span UK /spæn/ US /spæn/ vt. 横跨,跨越
A is similar in X to B A 和 B在 X上相似/差不多
constitution UK /ˌkɒnstɪˈtʃuːʃən/ US /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/ n. 构造
produce antibodies 产生抗体
diminutive UK /dɪˈmɪnjətɪv/ US /dɪˈmɪnjətɪv/ adj. 小得出奇的; 特小的(extremely or unusually small)
access UK /ˈækses/ US /ˈækses/ vt. 进入 n. 进入(接近或进入某地的)方法; 通路
host cell 宿主细胞
spike protein 刺突蛋白
pocket UK /ˈpɒkɪt/ US /ˈpɑːkɪt/ n. 袋;囊
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