title: Weak correlation of starch and volume in synchronized photosynthetic cells.
abstract: In cultures of unicellular algae, features of single cells, such as cellular volume and starch content, are thought to be the result of carefully balanced growth and division processes. Single-cell analyses of synchronized photoautotrophic cultures of the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reveal, however, that the cellular volume and starch content are only weakly correlated. Likewise, other cell parameters, e.g., the chlorophyll content per cell, are only weakly correlated with cell size. We derive the cell size distributions at the beginning of each synchronization cycle considering growth, timing of cell division and daughter cell release, and the uneven division of cell volume. Furthermore, we investigate the link between cell volume growth and starch accumulation. This work presents evidence that, under the experimental conditions of light-dark synchronized cultures, the weak correlation between both cell features is a result of a cumulative process rather than due to asymmetric partition of biomolecules during cell division. This cumulative process necessarily limits cellular similarities within a synchronized cell population.
authors: Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors: M Michael
authors: MM
authors: Rading
authors: innoFSPEC, Institut für Chemie, Universität Potsdam, Physikalische Chemie, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Sandmann
authors: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Steup
authors: Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Chiarugi
authors: Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Valleriani
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D048429:Cell Size; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010788:Photosynthesis; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013213:Starch