Stochastic bistable kinetics of gene transcription during the cell cycle

The positive feedback between messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and regulatory-protein production may result in bistability of gene transcription. If in addition the mRNA and/or protein numbers in a cell are low, one can observe stochastic transcriptional “bursts” provided that the intracellular conditions are steady. We present Monte Carlo simulations showing what may happen with the bursts under transient conditions during the cell cycle.