Gene regulatory networks driven by intrinsic noise with two-time scales: a stochastic averaging approach

Abstract

This work focuses on gene regulatory networks driven by intrinsic noise with two-time scales. It uses a stochastic averaging approach for these systems to reduce complexity. Comparing with the traditional quasi-steady-state hypothesis (QSSH), our approach uses stochastic averaging principle to treat the intrinsic noise coming from both the fast-changing variables and the slow-changing variables, which yields a more precise description of the underlying systems. To provide further insight, this paper also investigates a prototypical two-component activator-repressor genetic circuit model as an example. If all the protein productions were linear, these two methods would yield the same reduction result. However, if one of the protein productions is nonlinear, the stochastic averaging principle leads to a different reduction result from that of the traditional QSSH.

Keywords

Two-time scales / intrinsic noise / intracellular reaction / chemical Langevin equation (CLE) / stationary distribution

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