Figure 3. Cell volume and individual cell fate.

(A) Cell volume distribution of WT cells grown for 7, 14, and 21 d in YPD. In A to C, red dashed lines define three sub-populations each representing 1/3rd of the total population. Dead cells (black bars) were identified using methylene blue staining (N = 3). Black numbers indicate the percentage of dead cells within each cell sub-population. (B) Cell volume distribution according to the mitochondrial organization (vesicular: green, globular: red, N = 3) of 7-d-old WT cells expressing Ilv3-RFP. Red numbers indicate the percentage of cells with globular mitochondria within each cell sub-population. (C) Cell volume distribution of 7-d-old WT cells expressing Ilv3-RFP with vesicular mitochondria according to cell re-proliferation capacity. Red numbers indicate the percentage of cells able to bud within 6 hr after refeeding onto a YPD microscope pad within each sub-population (for small cells, n = 235, medium cells n = 226 and large cells n = 231). In A to C, the population median cell volume is indicated in blue. (D) Image series of individual small, regular and large cells with vesicular mitochondria upon refeeding on a YPD microscope pad. Cell volumes before re-feeding are indicated. Bar is 2 μm.

Figure 3—figure supplement 1. Cell viability and quiescence exit capacity after proliferation cessation in function of cell volume.

(A) WT prototroph cells grown for the indicated time in YPD were individually separated by micro-manipulation onto YPD plates according to their volume (n = 120, N = 2). Representative images of the plates after 3 d at 30°C are shown. (B) Percentage of viable cells (red dot) and colony forming units (CFU) of WT and mutants after 2, 7 and 14 d of growth in YPD. The colony numbers obtained after 2 d were used for normalization. Median cell volume in proliferation and SD are indicated.