Global Hopf bifurcation in the ZIP regulatory system (Q500337)

This paper is concerned with the bifurcation analysis and regulation of zink uptake in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. The authors indicate that zink is an essential \textit{micronutrient} for plants while its over-dozes is toxic. Hence, the plants' roots must have an adoptive zink uptake system, given the \textit{zink concentration in the surrounding soil}. The authors consider the global Hopf bifurcation of a four dimensional autonomous model in state-variables; see [the first author, Modeling of zinc uptake and transport in plant roots. Heidelberg: Univ. Heidelberg, Naturwissenschaftlich-Mathematische Gesamtfakultät (Diss.) (2014; Zbl 1305.92005)]. In particular, they consider \[ \begin{aligned}\frac{du_1}{dt} & =\kappa {u_3}^2(1-u_1)-u_1,\\ \frac{du_2}{dt} & =\frac{\mu}{\mu+K}u_1-u_2,\\ \frac{du_3}{dt} & =1-\gamma_1u_3u_4-u_3, \\ \frac{du_4}{dt} & =\gamma_2u_2-\gamma_3u_3u_4-(1+\gamma_2u_2) u_4,\end{aligned}\tag{1} \] where \(\mu\in \mathcal{M}= [0, m]\), \(m\) is a sufficiently large positive real number and the constants \(K=13,\kappa= 20, \gamma_1= 380, \gamma_2=1000, \gamma_3= 1672\) are estimated by fitting the model in the experimental data; see [loc. cit.]. The external zink concentration parameter \(\mu\) is treated as the bifurcation parameter. The authors prove that \(\mathcal{S}= [0, 1]^4\) is time-invariant and the system (1) has a unique isolated steady state solution in \(\mathcal{S}\). The system (1) has two critical values for the external zink concentration parameter, say \(\mu_1\) and \(\mu_2, \mu_1<\mu_2\), where the Hopf bifurcation occurs. The normal form analysis helps the authors to prove the local Hopf bifurcations and to determine the local stability of the bifurcated limit cycle. The Hopf bifurcations are both supercritical and the bifurcating limit cycles occur for parameters near \(\mu_1\) and \(\mu_2\), i.e., \(\mu>\mu_1\) and \(\mu<\mu_2\), respectively. Further, the families of limit cycles are both asymptotically stable. Authors prove that there exists a continuous family of isolated stable periodic orbits for the system (1) for all parameters between the Hopf critical parameter values \(\mu_1\) and \(\mu_2\). In order to extend the local results of Hopf bifurcations at \(\mu_1\) and \(\mu_2\), some fundamental results from [\textit{J. C. Alexander} and \textit{J. A. Yorke}, Am. J. Math. 100, 263--292 (1978; Zbl 0386.34040); J. Differ. Equations 43, 419--450 (1982; Zbl 0487.34038)] are used. These are as the authors put: ``A family of periodic orbits bifurcating from the stationary solution at a Hopf point can be continuously extended and become either unbounded with respect to parameter \(\mu\), period \(T\), or solution \(u\), or converge to another Hopf point.'' The asymptotical stability of the periodic orbits associated with the parameter interval \([\mu_1, \mu_2]\) are proved using the Floquet multipliers as the eigenvalues of the monodromy matrix. Finally, the model is extended to include a buffer reaction.