Modeling the effect of transcriptional noise on switching in gene networks in a genetic bistable switch

Gene regulatory networks in cells allow transitions between gene expression states under the influence of both intrinsic and extrinsic noise. Here we introduce a new theoretical method to study the dynamics of switching in a two-state gene expression model with positive feedback by explicitly accounting for the transcriptional noise. Within this theoretical framework, we employ a semi-classical path integral technique to calculate the mean switching time starting from either an active or inactive promoter state. Our analytical predictions are in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations and experimental observations.