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A noisy linear map underlies oscillations in cell size and gene expression in bacteria.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tanouchi, Y; Pai, A; Park, H; Huang, S; Stamatov, R; Buchler, NE; You, L
Published in: Nature
July 2015

During bacterial growth, a cell approximately doubles in size before division, after which it splits into two daughter cells. This process is subjected to the inherent perturbations of cellular noise and thus requires regulation for cell-size homeostasis. The mechanisms underlying the control and dynamics of cell size remain poorly understood owing to the difficulty in sizing individual bacteria over long periods of time in a high-throughput manner. Here we measure and analyse long-term, single-cell growth and division across different Escherichia coli strains and growth conditions. We show that a subset of cells in a population exhibit transient oscillations in cell size with periods that stretch across several (more than ten) generations. Our analysis reveals that a simple law governing cell-size control-a noisy linear map-explains the origins of these cell-size oscillations across all strains. This noisy linear map implements a negative feedback on cell-size control: a cell with a larger initial size tends to divide earlier, whereas one with a smaller initial size tends to divide later. Combining simulations of cell growth and division with experimental data, we demonstrate that this noisy linear map generates transient oscillations, not just in cell size, but also in constitutive gene expression. Our work provides new insights into the dynamics of bacterial cell-size regulation with implications for the physiological processes involved.

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Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

July 2015

Volume

523

Issue

7560

Start / End Page

357 / 360

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Single-Cell Analysis
  • Models, Biological
  • Homeostasis
  • General Science & Technology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Feedback, Physiological
  • Escherichia coli
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cell Size
 

Citation

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Tanouchi, Y., Pai, A., Park, H., Huang, S., Stamatov, R., Buchler, N. E., & You, L. (2015). A noisy linear map underlies oscillations in cell size and gene expression in bacteria. Nature, 523(7560), 357–360. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14562
Tanouchi, Yu, Anand Pai, Heungwon Park, Shuqiang Huang, Rumen Stamatov, Nicolas E. Buchler, and Lingchong You. “A noisy linear map underlies oscillations in cell size and gene expression in bacteria.Nature 523, no. 7560 (July 2015): 357–60. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14562.
Tanouchi Y, Pai A, Park H, Huang S, Stamatov R, Buchler NE, et al. A noisy linear map underlies oscillations in cell size and gene expression in bacteria. Nature. 2015 Jul;523(7560):357–60.
Tanouchi, Yu, et al. “A noisy linear map underlies oscillations in cell size and gene expression in bacteria.Nature, vol. 523, no. 7560, July 2015, pp. 357–60. Epmc, doi:10.1038/nature14562.
Tanouchi Y, Pai A, Park H, Huang S, Stamatov R, Buchler NE, You L. A noisy linear map underlies oscillations in cell size and gene expression in bacteria. Nature. 2015 Jul;523(7560):357–360.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nature

DOI

EISSN

1476-4687

ISSN

0028-0836

Publication Date

July 2015

Volume

523

Issue

7560

Start / End Page

357 / 360

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Single-Cell Analysis
  • Models, Biological
  • Homeostasis
  • General Science & Technology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Feedback, Physiological
  • Escherichia coli
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cell Size