MODELS OF DNA-REPLICATION TIMING IN INTERPHASE NUCLEI - AN EXERCISE IN INFERRING PROCESS FROM STATE

Patterns of spots, produced by fluorescence in situ hybridization, can be used to infer the order and timing of replication of DNA sequences in S-phase nuclei, sampled randomly from asynchronous cell population s. We describe statistical models that provide estimates of replicatio n timings and completion rates and of their standard errors. By applyi ng the technique to experimental data from diploid cell lines, we show how it can be used to compare the replication timings either of diffe rent sequences on the same chromosome, or of the same sequence on a pa ir of homologous chromosomes.