1. ¹Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
2. ²Stem Cell Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Correspondence: Dr Robert Nordon, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Email: R.Nordon@unsw.edu.au

Received 17 August 1999; Accepted 17 August 1999.

Abstract

Cell division tracking using fluorescent dyes, such as carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester, provides a unique opportunity for analysis of cell growth kinetics. The present review article presents new methods for enhancing resolution of division tracking data as well as derivation of quantities that characterize growth from time-series data. These include the average time between successive divisions, the proportion of cells that survive and the proliferation per division. The physical significance of these measured quantities is interpreted by formulation of a two-compartment model of cell cycle transit characterized by stochastic and deterministic cell residence times, respectively. The model confirmed that survival is directly related to the proportion of cells that enter the next cell generation. The proportion of time that cells reside in the stochastic compartment is directly related to the proliferation per generation. This form of analysis provides a starting point for more sophisticated physical and biochemical models of cell cycle regulation.