Physics – Condensed Matter – Statistical Mechanics
Scientific paper
2001-05-05
Phys. Rev. E 64, 051909 (2001)
Physics
Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
13 pages
Scientific paper
10.1103/PhysRevE.64.051909
RNA viruses are known to replicate with extremely high mutation rates. These rates are actually close to the so-called error threshold. This threshold is in fact a critical point beyond which genetic information is lost through a second-order phase transition, which has been dubbed the ``error catastrophe.'' Here we explore this phenomenon using a field theory approximation to the spatially extended Swetina-Schuster quasispecies model [J. Swetina and P. Schuster, Biophys. Chem. {\bf 16}, 329 (1982)], a single-sharp-peak landscape. In analogy with standard absorbing-state phase transitions, we develop a reaction-diffusion model whose discrete rules mimic the Swetina-Schuster model. The field theory representation of the reaction-diffusion system is constructed. The proposed field theory belongs to the same universality class than a conserved reaction-diffusion model previously proposed [F. van Wijland {\em et al.}, Physica A {\bf 251}, 179 (1998)]. From the field theory, we obtain the full set of exponents that characterize the critical behavior at the error threshold. Our results present the error catastrophe from a new point of view and suggest that spatial degrees of freedom can modify several mean field predictions previously considered, leading to the definition of characteristic exponents that could be experimentally measurable.
Pastor-Satorras Romualdo
Sole Ricard V.
No associations
LandOfFree
Field theory for a reaction-diffusion model of quasispecies dynamics does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Field theory for a reaction-diffusion model of quasispecies dynamics, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Field theory for a reaction-diffusion model of quasispecies dynamics will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-492821