Analytical study of an exclusive genetic switch
Abstract
The nonequilibrium stationary state of an exclusive genetic switch is considered. The model comprises two competing species and a single binding site which, when bound to by a protein of one species, causes the other species to be repressed. The model may be thought of as a minimal model of the power struggle between two competing parties. Exact solutions are given for the limits of vanishing binding/unbinding rates and infinite binding/unbinding rates. A mean field theory is introduced which is exact in the limit of vanishing binding/unbinding rates. The mean field theory and numerical simulations reveal that generically bistability occurs and the system is in a symmetry broken state. An exact perturbative solution which in principle allows the nonequilibrium stationary state to be computed is also developed and computed to first and second order.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1105.0301,
title = {Analytical study of an exclusive genetic switch},
author = {J. Venegas-Ortiz and M. R. Evans},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1105.0301},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
28 pages, 6 figures