Stochastic modeling of auto-regulatory genetic feedback loops: a review and comparative study

Auto-regulatory feedback loops are one of the most common network motifs. A wide variety of stochastic models have been constructed to understand how the fluctuations in protein numbers in these loops are influenced by the kinetic parameters of the main biochemical steps. These models differ according to (i) which sub-cellular processes are explicitly modelled; (ii) the modelling methodology employed (discrete, continuous or hybrid); (iii) whether they can be analytically solved for the steady-state distribution of protein numbers. We discuss the assumptions and properties of the main models in the literature, summarize our current understanding of the relationship between them and highlight some of the insights gained through modelling.