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Explanation of Degree of Correlation of Sibling Generation Times in Animal Cells

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Abstract

SEVERAL methods are available for producing synchronous cultures of mammalian cells1,2, but it is technically impossible to produce a culture which maintains a high degree of synchrony for more than one or two rounds of division because of the highly variable length of the period between successive mitoses from cell to cell. Variability of generation time is also observed in sibling cells formed by the division of a common parent. If cells are able to divide accurately siblings would be expected to be genetically and biochemically identical, and should therefore also have identical generation times but in fact while there is a clear correlation3–6 it is always imperfect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Transformation Studies and Hormone Biochemistry, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PX

    P. D. MINOR & J. A. SMITH

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  1. P. D. MINOR
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  2. J. A. SMITH
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MINOR, P., SMITH, J. Explanation of Degree of Correlation of Sibling Generation Times in Animal Cells. Nature 248, 241–243 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248241a0

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