Before revision:  The classical picture for deterministic cell decision making includes bistability and hysteresis . Despite numerous experimental works supporting evidence of hysteresis in gene regulatory networks , such phenomenon may not be compatible with the stochasticityunderlying gene regulation dynamics.
After revision:  The classical picture for deterministic cell decision making includes bistability and hysteresis , which enables the persistence of the acquired cellular state after withdrawal of the stimulus, ensuring a robust cellular response. However, the stochasticity inherent to gene expression dynamics is not compatible with hysteresis, since the stationary solution of the governing Chemical Master Equation does not depend on the initial conditions. In this work, we provide a quantitative description of a transient hysteresis phenomenon that reconciles experimental evidence of hysteretic behaviour in gene regulatory networks , such phenomenon may not be compatible with the stochasticityunderlying gene regulation dynamics.