Regulation of G2 by cell size contributes to maintaining cell size variability within certain limits in higher plants

The variability of (1) surface area projection (size) at which cells terminate DNA replication, (2) the area at which they initiate mitosis, (3) the area at which they divide, (4) the duration of G2, and (5) the duration of G2 plus mitosis (in fact, prophase + metaphase + anaphase) has been estimated in steady-state cell populations of Allium cepa root meristems. The coefficient of variation of cell area at termination of DNA synthesis was found to be 14% while the coefficient of variation of cell area at mitosis initiation was 13%. As there is also a substantial variability of G2 (the coefficient of variation was estimated to be 38%), the combination of these data indicates that cell size regulation of G2 contributes to maintaining cell size variability (and therefore DNA concentration) within certain limits. Mitosis also varies but less than G2 (the coefficient of variation of G2 + mitosis was found to be 31%). As the coefficient of variation of cell area at division (14%) is hardly larger than the coefficient of variation of cell area at initiation of mitosis, it can be suggested that coordination between cell size and mitosis duration helps to avoid a significant increase in the variability of cell size at the end of the division cycle.