Diverse functional genes harboured in extracellular vesicles from environmental and human microbiota.

Exchange of mobile functional genes within microbiota benefits the microbial community. However, the status of the mobile gene pool in environment is still largely unclear, impeding the understanding on the process of gene transfer in natural microbial communities. The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by diverse organisms has been proposed to be a vital way in the complex networks of interactions between microbes and their habitats.

[Mechanism of the inhibitory effects of thalidomide on expressions of VEGF and bFGF].

To investigate the inhibitory effects of thalidomide on the expressions of VEGF and bFGF in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and human hepatocellular carcinomas HepG2 cells mediated by cereblon (CRBN). shRNA technology was used to construct the A549 cell line (A549) and HepG2 cell line (HepG2) with stable knockdown of CRBN, which was verified by real-time PCR and Western blot. A549 cells were divided into negative control group (A549) and CRBN down-regulation group (A549); HepG2 cells were divided into negative control group (HepG2) and CRBN down-regulation group (HepG2).

Dataset-based assessment of heavy metal contamination in freshwater fishes and their health risks.

The ecological risks and health hazards of heavy metals pollution in Taihu Lake have received widespread concern. This study has developed a species-pollution dataset which includes a large amount of data on heavy metal pollution in Taihu fish. The heavy metal contamination poses a significant threat to human consumption, but no studies have been conducted to assess the risk of exposure to consumption of these fish and to make recommendations for their consumption.

Clinicopathological characteristics of angiofibroma of soft tissue: report of three cases.

Angiofibroma of soft tissue (AFST) is a recently-reported, rare, fibrovascular soft tissue neoplasm that commonly develops in the lower extremities of middle-aged women. Here, we report three cases located in the right temporal lobe of a woman, the left popliteal fossa of a female, and the right lower limb of a male patient, respectively, the former of which is first reported in the light of a literature review owing to its anatomical location. Histological and immunohistochemical features were consistent with the diagnosis of AFST.

Identification of anrF gene, a homology of admM of andrimid biosynthetic gene cluster related to the antagonistic activity of Enterobacter cloacae B8.

Aim: To identify the gene (s) related to the antagonistic activity of Enterobacter cloacae B8 and to elucidate its antagonistic mechanism.

Methods: Transposon-mediated mutagenesis and tagging method and cassette PCR-based chromosomal walking method were adopted to isolate the mutant strain(s) of B8 that lost the antagonistic activity and to clone DNA fragments around Tn5 insertion site. Sequence compiling and open reading frame (ORF) finding were done with DNAStar program and homologous sequence and conserved domain searches were performed with BlastN or BlastP programs at www.