Dynamics and Complexity in a Time Delay Model of RNA Silencing with Periodic Forcing

• Main Author: Svetoslav Nikolov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academic Publishing House 2008-10-01
• Series: Bioautomation
• Subjects: RNA silencing; Time delay model; Bifurcation analysis
• Online Access: http://www.clbme.bas.bg/bioautomation/2008/vol_10.1/files/10_1.1.pdf

Simple periodic behavior and occurrence of complex oscillatory phenomena underlie of a large number of biochemical system models. In many cases the transition from stable to simple/complex oscillatory behavior can be connected with the appearance of abnormal process likes as cancer. In this paper we propose a time delay model of RNA silencing (also known as RNA interference) with periodic forcing. In organisms with RNA silencing, each cell has a miniature "immune system" able to generate and amplify specific responses to a variety of gene transcripts. The consequences of a time delay on the dynamics of this model are analysed using Hopf's theorem. Our analytical calculations predict that time delay acts as a key bifurcation parameter. From the accomplished numerical results, it becomes clear that model has complexity oscillatory behavior when the amplitude of periodic force (i.e. the confusion in the target mRNA synthesis) is large.