title: Intrinsic phenotypic stability of a bi-stable auto regulatory gene.
abstract: Even under homogenous conditions clonal cells can assume different distinct states for generations to follow, also known as epigenetic inheritance. Such long periods of different phenotypic states can be formed due to the existence of more than one stable state in the molecule concentration, where the different states are explored through molecular fluctuations. By formulating a single reaction variable representing the birth and death of molecules, including transcription, translation and decay, we calculate the escape time from the phenotypic states attained from autocatalytic synthesis through a Fokker- Planck formulation and integration of an effective pseudo-potential. We calculate the stability of the phenotypic states both for cooperative binding feedback and dimer binding feedback, resulting in non-linear decay.
authors.affiliation: Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Azim-Berdy
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Besya
authors.affiliation: Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grönlund
mesh_terms: D057890:Epigenomics; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances