Oscillations in the expression of a self-repressed gene induced by a slow transcriptional dynamics

Pierre-Emmanuel Morant (1) , Quentin Thommen (1) , François Lemaire (2, 3) , Constant Vandermoëre (1) , Benjamin Parent (4, 5) , Marc Lefranc (1, 5)

1 PhLAM - Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molécules - UMR 8523
2 LIFL - Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale de Lille
3 CALFOR - Calcul Formel
4 UGSF - Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle - UMR 8576
5 IRI - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire [Villeneuve d'Ascq]

We revisit the dynamics of a gene repressed by its own protein in the case where the transcription rate does not adapt instantaneously to protein concentration but is a dynamical variable. We derive analytical criteria for the appearance of sustained oscillations and find that they require degradation mechanisms much less nonlinear than for infinitely fast regulation. Deterministic predictions are also compared with stochastic simulations of this minimal genetic oscillator.

Domaines: Bio-Informatique, Biologie Systémique [q-bio.QM]; Bio-informatique [q-bio.QM]; Réseaux moléculaires [q-bio.MN]

Pierre-Emmanuel Morant, Quentin Thommen, François Lemaire, Constant Vandermoëre, Benjamin Parent, et al.. Oscillations in the expression of a self-repressed gene induced by a slow transcriptional dynamics. Physical Review Letters, 2009, 102 (6), pp.068104. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.068104⟩. ⟨hal-00268097v2⟩