Pluripotency is the defining characteristic of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) allowing them to differentiate into any somatic cell in the human body. For the promising clinical applications of hESCs, improved regulation of pluripotency and differentiation trajectories of  colonies is required. The pluripotency transcription factors (PTFs) which regulate pluripotency are inherently stochastic (with small fluctuations impacting cell fate), inherited asymmetrically  , and more similar in closely related  cells. Here we use available time-lapse experimental data of OCT4 fluorescence intensity to quantify the temporal dynamics of the PTF OCT4 over a cell lifetime. We evaluate the internal self-regulation of OCT4 using the Hurst exponent and autocorrelation analysis, quantify the intra-cellular fluctuations and consider the diffusive nature of OCT4 over time for individual cells and pairs of their descendants. After possible asymmetric splitting , OCT4 abundance  fluctuates sub-diffusively, showing anti-persistent self-regulation with a Hurst exponent of 0.38. Auto-correlation analysis shows anti-persistence for five hours or longer is seen in 86 %DIFDELCMD < \\%%% %DIF < of cells, on average between three and 12 hours into the cell cycle. The OCT4 fluctuations between five minute intervals follow a Laplace distribution, with BMP4 addition provoking smaller changes and tighter self-regulation, particularly in the differentiated fate group. This quantitative framework provides a basis for comparison to other experiments, and the development of mathematical models of pluripotency.abstract 
Pluripotency is the defining characteristic of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) allowing them to differentiate into any somatic cell in the human body. For the promising clinical applications of hESCs, improved regulation of pluripotency and differentiation trajectories of their colonies is required. The pluripotency transcription factors (PTFs) which regulate pluripotency are inherently stochastic (with small fluctuations impacting cell fate), inherited asymmetrically upon cell divisions , and more similar in closely related (separated by less division events) cells. Here we use time-lapse experimental data of OCT4 fluorescence intensity to quantify the temporal dynamics of the PTF OCT4 over a cell lifetime. We characterise the internal self-regulation of OCT4 using the Hurst exponent and autocorrelation analysis, quantify the intra-cellular fluctuations and consider the diffusive nature of OCT4 evolution for individual cells and pairs of their descendants. After cell divisions , OCT4 abundance in the daughter cells fluctuates sub-diffusively, showing anti-persistent self-regulation with a Hurst exponent of 0.38. Auto-correlation analysis shows anti-persistence for five hours or longer in 86 %DIFDELCMD < \\%%% %DIF < of cells, on average between three and 12 hours into the cell cycle. The OCT4 fluctuations between five minute intervals follow a Laplace distribution, with BMP4 addition provoking smaller changes and tighter self-regulation, particularly in the differentiated fate group. This quantitative framework provides a basis for comparison to other experiments, and the development of mathematical models of pluripotency.abstract \% of cells, on average between three and 12 hours into the cell cycle. The OCT4 fluctuations in five minute intervals follow a Laplace distribution, with BMP4 addition provoking smaller changes and tighter self-regulation, particularly in the differentiated fate group. This quantitative framework provides a basis for comparison to other experiments, and the development of mathematical models of pluripotency.
A
their
A
upon cell divisions
A
(separated by less division events)
D
available
R
evaluate
characterise
R
over time
evolution
R
possible asymmetric splitting
cell divisions
A
in the daughter cells
D
is seen
A
\% of cells, on average between three and 12 hours into the cell cycle. The OCT4 fluctuations in five minute intervals follow a Laplace distribution, with BMP4 addition provoking smaller changes and tighter self-regulation, particularly in the differentiated fate group. This quantitative framework provides a basis for comparison to other experiments, and the development of mathematical models of pluripotency.