Control of nuclear size by osmotic forces in fission yeast

Abstract

The size of the nucleus scales robustly with cell size so that the nuclear-to-cell volume ratio (N/C ratio) is maintained during cell growth in many cell types. The mechanism responsible for this scaling is still mysterious. The N/C ratio is not determined merely by DNA amount, but is influenced by factors such as properties of the nuclear envelope and nuclear transport. Here, we develop a physical-based model for nuclear size control based upon osmotic pressure. The nuclear envelope can be regarded as a semi-permeable barrier that allows water and small ions to pass, but is relatively impermeable to large macromolecules.