Entropy Production Rate Changes in Lysogeny/Lysis Switch Regulation of Bacteriophage Lambda

According to the chemical kinetic model of lysogeny/lysis switch in Escherichia coli (E. coli) infected by bacteriophage λ, the entropy production rates of steady states are calculated. The results show that the lysogenic state has lower entropy production rate than lytic state, which provides an explanation on why the lysogenic state of λ phage is so stable. We also notice that the entropy production rates of both lysogenic state and lytic state are lower than that of saddle-point and bifurcation state, which is consistent with the principle of minimum entropy production for living organism in nonequilibrium stationary state. Subsequently, the relations between CI and Cro degradation rates at two bifurcations and the changes of entropy production rate with CI and Cro degradation are deduced. The theory and method can be used to calculate entropy change in other molecular network.