Sloppy size control of the cell division cycle

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Quantitative Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Cell proliferation exhibits significant variability in individual cell size and division timing.
• Existing models struggle to fully explain the coordination between cell growth and division.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel model for cell division accounting for inherent cellular variability.
• To explain the relationship between cell growth, size, and division timing.

Main Methods:

• Developed a theoretical model termed "sloppy size control."
• Assumed cells grow according to a growth law and divide with size-dependent probability.
• Derived equations for cell size distribution, generation time, and cell lineage correlations.

Main Results:

• The sloppy size control model accounts for variability in cell size at birth and division.
• Model successfully predicts generation time distributions and lineage correlations.
• Theoretical predictions show superior agreement with experimental data for *Schizosaccharomyces pombe*.

Conclusions:

• The sloppy size control model provides a robust explanation for cell size and division time variability.
• This model offers a better framework for understanding cell cycle regulation than previous simple models.
• The findings have implications for understanding proliferation in asynchronous cell cultures.