Computationally enhanced quantitative phase microscopy reveals autonomous oscillations in mammalian cell growth

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002152117
• Publication Date: 2020-10-22T00:16:04Z
• Authors: Xili Liu; Seungeun Oh; Leonid Peshkin; Marc W. Kirschner
• Keywords: Intravital Microscopy; Cell Tracking; Cell Cycle; Humans; Biological Sciences; Image Enhancement; Algorithms; Cell Division; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation; HeLa Cells

Significance It has been a long-standing question in cell growth studies whether the mass of cells grows linearly or exponentially. The two models imply fundamentally distinct mechanisms, and discrimination of the two requires exceptional measurement accuracy. Here, we develop a method, computationally enhanced quantitative phase microscopy, which greatly improves the accuracy and throughput for single-cell growth measurements in adherent mammalian cells. Studies in several cell lines indicate that the growth dynamics of individual cells cannot be explained by either of the simple conventional models; rather, they present an unanticipated and remarkable oscillatory behavior, suggesting more complex regulation and feedbacks in growth, cell division, and size.