• Featured in Physics

Cell Size Regulation in Bacteria

Ariel Amir
Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 208102 – Published 23 May 2014
Physics logo See Focus story: How Bacteria Keep Track of their Size
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

Various bacteria such as the canonical gram negative Escherichia coli or the well-studied gram positive Bacillus subtilis divide symmetrically after they approximately double their volume. Their size at division is not constant, but is typically distributed over a narrow range. Here, we propose an analytically tractable model for cell size control, and calculate the cell size and interdivision time distributions, as well as the correlations between these variables. We suggest ways of extracting the model parameters from experimental data, and show that existing data for E. coli supports partial size control, and a particular explanation: a cell attempts to add a constant volume from the time of initiation of DNA replication to the next initiation event. This hypothesis accounts for the experimentally observed correlations between mother and daughter cells as well as the exponential dependence of size on growth rate.

  • Figure
  • Received 23 December 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.208102

© 2014 American Physical Society

Focus

Key Image

How Bacteria Keep Track of their Size

Published 23 May 2014

A new theory suggests that bacterial cells regulate their size by directly measuring their increase in volume during growth.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Ariel Amir

  • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 112, Iss. 20 — 23 May 2014

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×