A Dynamic x–j Framework for Epigenetic Regulation and Cell-State Stability

Epigenetic regulation enables phenotypic diversity without altering DNA sequence, yet lacks a unifying dynamical description connecting stability, differentiation, reprogramming, and oncogenic instability.Here we propose a minimal two-component dynamical framework, in which genomic information constitutes a stable structural component (x), while epigenetic regulation forms a generative component (j). We show that cell states correspond to constrained regions in the ratio j/x, defining a stability window that separates functional differentiation from degeneracy and collapse. This formulation provides a unified explanation for cell fate stability, induced pluripotency, and cancer-associated epigenetic dysregulation.