Table 2. Parameters of the models.
| Symbol | Definition | Numerical value |
| 1) Minimal model for protein synthesis with a messenger RNA regulated by a miRNA | ||
| V SRNA | Rate of synthesis of messenger RNA | 0.02 |
| TF | Transcription factors | |
| K ARNA | Michaelis constant for activation of RNA synthesis by TF | 0.1 |
| k 1 | Bimolecular rate constant for binding of miRNA to RNA | 10 |
| k 2 | Rate constant for dissociation of complex (RNAi) between miRNA and RNA | 0.01 |
| k DRNA | Rate constant for the degradation of RNA | 0.1 |
| k SPROT | Rate constant for the synthesis of protein | 3 |
| k DPROT | Rate constant for the degradation of protein | 0.1 |
| k DRNAI | Rate constant for the degradation of RNAi | 0.1 |
| V SMIRNA | Rate of synthesis of miRNA | |
| k DMIRNA | Rate constant for the degradation of miRNA | 0.1 |
| n | Coefficient of cooperativity mediated by the oligomerization of TF needed to promote the transcription of messenger RNA | |
| 2) Minimal model with two messenger RNAs regulated by the same miRNA(Other parameter values are as in section 1 of this Table) | ||
| V SRNA | Rate of synthesis of messenger RNA | 3 |
| V SRNA2 | Rate of synthesis of messenger RNA 2, RNA2 | 0.02 |
| V SRNA3 | Rate of synthesis of messenger RNA 3, RNA3 | 0.02 |
| k 3 | Bimolecular rate constant for binding of miRNA to RNA2 | 10 |
| k 4 | Rate constant for dissociation of complex (RNA2i) between miRNA and RNA2 | 0.01 |
| k 5 | Bimolecular rate constant for binding of miRNA to RNA3 | 10 |
| k 6 | Rate constant for dissociation of complex (RNA3i) between miRNA and RNA3 | 0.01 |
| k DRNA2 | Rate constant for the degradation of RNA2 | 0.1 |
| k DRNA3 | Rate constant for the degradation of RNA3 | 0.1 |
| k SPROT2 | Rate constant for the synthesis of protein 2, Prot2 | 3 |
| k SPROT3 | Rate constant for the synthesis of protein 3, Prot3 | 3.5 |
| k DPROT2 | Rate constant for the degradation of Prot2 | 0.1 |
| k DPROT3 | Rate constant for the degradation of Prot3 | 0.1 |
| k DRNAI2 | Rate constant for the degradation of RNA2i | 0.1 |
| k DRNAI3 | Rate constant for the degradation of RNA3i | 0.1 |
| 3) “Goodwin-like” oscillator with regulation of protein synthesis by a miRNA | ||
| V SMIRNA | Rate of synthesis of miRNA | 0.1 |
| k DMIRNA | Rate constant for the degradation of miRNA | 0.01 |
| k 1 | Bimolecular rate constant for binding of miRNA to RNA | 100 |
| k 2 | Rate constant for dissociation of complex (RNAi) between miRNA and RNA | 0.01 |
| V SRNA | Rate of synthesis of messenger RNA | 0.4 |
| k DRNA | Rate constant for the degradation of RNA | 0.4 |
| k SPROT | Rate constant for the synthesis of protein | 2 |
| k DPROT | Rate constant for the degradation of protein | 0.02 |
| k DRNAI | Rate constant for the degradation of RNAi | 0.1 |
| k 7 | Rate constant for the conversion of the protein into the repressor (i.e. transport of the protein from the cytosol to the nucleus and/or post-translational modifications) | 0.1 |
| k 8 | Rate constant for the conversion of the repressor into the protein (i.e. transport of the repressor from the nucleus to the cytosol and/or post-translational modifications) | 0.01 |
| K IMRNA | Constant of inhibition by the repressor of the synthesis of RNA | 0.04 |
| k DREP | Rate constant for the degradation of repressor, Rep | 0.3 |
| n | Coefficient of oligomerization between repressor molecules to inhibit the synthesis of messenger RNA | 12 |
Notes: The minimal models proposed here could represent the generic dynamics of protein expression in various types of eukaryotic cells. Such dynamics may vary in an extensive manner for different types of proteins within a cell and may also vary between different cell types. Thus, in order to stay as general as possible, we have chosen a set of ‘representative’ dimensionless parameter values.