Periodic perturbation of genetic oscillations

Kinetics of gene expression may be oscillatory due to the feedbacks between the mRNA, non-coding RNA and protein synthesis. In complex genetic networks, the kinetic oscillations generated in one subnetwork may influence oscillations in another subnetwork. To clarify what may happen in such situations, we have performed a mean-field analysis and Monte Carlo simulations of periodic perturbation of the oscillatory kinetics of the simplest genetic network including a gene with negative regulation of the mRNA production by protein, obtained via mRNA translation and two steps of conversion. Our analysis shows universal and specific features of the kinetics under consideration. Our simulations indicate that due to fluctuations only some of these features can really be observed. Specifically, the main frequencies obtained by the Fourier expansion of the mean-field and Monte Carlo kinetics are found to be often similar except that the Monte Carlo distribution of frequencies near the main frequencies is somewhat wider.

► The model includes gene transcription negatively regulated by protein formed with a delay.
► Universal and specific features of the periodically forced mean-field kinetics are shown.
► Monte Carlo simulations exhibit, however, only some of these features.