Oscillations and multiple steady states in a cyclic gene model with repression (Q1090279)

This paper examines the cyclic gene expression model proposed by Goodwin and modeled by \textit{H. T. Banks} and \textit{J. M. Mahaffy}, J. Theor. Biol. 74, 323-334 (1978). Biologically, the aim is to describe the control of sequential protein synthesis in those cases when the terminal product feeds back to inhibit the initial stage. The author shows that depending on the length, G, of the reaction sequence, the qualitative behavior can be quite different, with multiple stable steady states and no stable oscillations (for G even) and periodic orbits (for G odd). The general model is a system of functional differential equations (F.D.E.) and the techniques used are similar to those employed in the author's other recent work, J. Differ. Equations 66, 420-442 (1987; Zbl 0612.34067). The author notes that a scalar discrete dynamical system of the form \(U_{n+1}=g(U_ n)\) seems to mimic the dynamics of the F.D.E. This discrete equation arises naturally from searching for steady states of the F.D.E.