Using conditional independence tests to elucidate causal links in cell cycle regulation in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: How cells regulate their cell cycles is a central question for cell biology. Models of cell size homeostasis have been proposed for bacteria, archaea, yeast, plant, and mammalian cells. New experiments bring forth high volumes of data suitable for testing existing models of cell size regulation and proposing new mechanisms. In this paper, we use conditional independence tests in conjunction with data of cell size at key cell cycle events (birth, initiation of DNA replication, and constriction) in the model bacterium Escherichia coli to select between the competing cell cycle models. We find that in all growth conditions that we study, the division event is controlled by the onset of constriction at midcell. In slow growth, we corroborate a model where replication-related processes c

SUBMITTER: Kar P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10089181 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature