The role of mRNA decay in a genetic switch

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Publication Type honors thesis
School or College College of Science
Department Mathematics
Faculty Mentor Frederick R. Adler
Creator Du, Wantong
Title The role of mRNA decay in a genetic switch
Year graduated 2016
Date 2016-04
Description Genes can be switched on or off by regulatory proteins. For example, two genes may each synthesize a protein that downregulates the other gene, creating a repressor- repressor switch that has two stable steady states: one being when the first gene is "on" and the second gene is repressed, and the other in which the situation is reversed. Previous study of a model by Cherry and Adler showed that the existence of such a switch depends on factors including the shapes of the two repression functions. Adding to the model an additional point of control mRNA dynamics-resulted in further restrictions upon the parameters that can lead to a functional genetic switch. Specifically, compared to the original model, it is twice as difficult for a system that takes into account second-order mRNA decay to have a working switch, and three times as difficult for a system that takes into account third-order mRNA decay.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Messenger RNA - Research; Genetic regulation - Research; Genetic switch; Gene repression; Neural circuitry
Language eng
Rights Management (c) Wantong Du
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 25,018 bytes
Identifier honors/id/5
Permissions Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=1254203
ARK ark:/87278/s6z357x4
Setname ir_htoa
ID 205657
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6z357x4