The extent of liver injury determines hepatocyte fate toward senescence or cancer.

It is well known that induction of hepatocyte senescence could inhibit the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Until now, it is still unclear how the degree of liver injury dictates hepatocyte senescence and carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether the severity of injury determines cell fate decisions between hepatocyte senescence and carcinogenesis.

[Cloning of a MADS box protein gene (GhMADS1) from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)].

As a kind of transcription factors, MADS-box protein plays an important role in various cellular processes, especially in the development of floral organs. Based on the contig analysis of the cotton ESTs, the coding region of a cotton MADS-box protein (GhMADS1) was obtained by RT-PCR from floral buds of cotton (G. hirsutum).

Analysis of floral morphology of a cotton homeotic variant (CHV1).

Physiological and genetic variations exist frequently in the cotton plants regenerated from somatic embryos. A stable homeotic variant (CHV1) was identified from these regenerated plants. Morphological analysis suggested that all the floral organs of the CHV1 plants convert into bract leaf-like organs, this was confirmed by close inspection of floral organs surface using scanning electron microscope.