Finite size scaling of the spontaneous symmetry breaking model of X-chromosome inactivation

Abstract

X-Chromosome inactivation is the process whereby one of the two X-chromosomes in female cells is silenced to prevent the cell producing too much of any X-linked proteins and RNA. The proposed blocking-factor mechanism of X-inactivation is not well understood and hence is the subject of much current research. In this paper we investigated the nature of the phase transition predicted to exist in the spontaneous symmetry breaking model of X-inactivation proposed by Nicodemi and Prisco [Mario Nicodemi, Antonella Prisco, Symmetry breaking model for x-chromosome inactivation, Phs. Rev. Lett. 98 (2007) 108104]. Finite size effects were investigated by using an on lattice Monte Carlo simulation. From the scaling it is concluded that the transition is in general abrupt. The critical temperature of the system was determined to be 1.68 ± 0.01 E 0 / k B in the thermodynamic limit when the concentration C = 0.025 blocking-factors per lattice site.