Uncoupling growth and division in <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i> colonies: consistent cell cycle regulation under confinement.

ABSTRACT: A planar cell microcolony served as a model system to study the impact of inter-cellular crowding and cell-matrix interactions upon the cell cycle. We studied the development over several days of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii microcolonies, grown from single cells, using a bespoke experimental setup allowing timelapse fluorescence microscopy. Through precise cell segmentation and lineage tracking of a large systematic dataset, characterising individual cell growth and divisions, we uncovered how the external matrix influenced cell cycle and morphology. Experiments also revealed spatial heterogeneity amongst cells within colonies, providing insights into the effects of contact inhibition and micro-gradients of mass transfer. A radial propagation of ring-like pattern, characterised by var

SUBMITTER: Chua ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12306439 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature