Hopf bifurcation in a DDE model of gene expression (Q2459408)

The paper considers a model of gene transcription and protein synthesis that has been previously presented in the biological literature. The model takes the form of a nonlinear system consisting of an ordinary differential equation coupled to a delay differential equation (DDE), the state variables being concentrations of messenger RNA and protein. Linear analysis gives a critical time delay beyond which a periodic motion is born in a Hopf bifurcation. By Lindstedt's method applied to the nonlinear system, approximate closed expressions for the amplitude and frequency of oscillation are obtained. A parameter study shows also that the Hopf bifurcation may not occur if the rates of degradation are too large. The analytic study is accompanied by numerical simulation.