Modelling and Analysis of miRNA Regulation

• Main Author: Svetoslav Ganchev Nikolov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Biomath Forum 2014-09-01
• Series: Biomath
• Subjects: miRNA regulation; time delay; Andronov-Hopf bifurcation; numerical analysis
• Online Access: http://www.biomathforum.org/biomath/index.php/biomath/article/view/333

MiRNA regulation is involved in many important biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism. Computational predictions of miRNA targets suggest that up 30 % of human proteins coding genes may be regulated by miRNAs. This makes miRNAs one of the most abundant classes of regulatory genes in humans. In the present paper we develop a time delay model of a feedback system regulated via miRNA. The model resulted in three DDEs with three discrete time delays. Since this system is a classical case study, covering several essential features of miRNA and genetic regulatory mechanisms, general conclusions about design principles and role of time delays in the stability of gene circuits can be suggested. The basic view that time delays are a key factor in the dynamic behaviour of the system was confirmed by the analytical calculations and numerical simulations.