The level and landscape of optimization in the origin of the genetic code

Publication date: 1 Apr 2001

JournalSource: LEGACY
Authors: Mario Medugno

We consider a model of the origin of genetic code organization incorporating the biosynthetic relationships between amino acids and their physicochemical properties. We study the behavior of the genetic code in the set of codes subject both to biosynthetic constraints and to the constraint that the biosynthetic classes of amino acids must occupy only their own codon domain, as observed in the genetic code. Therefore, this set contains the smallest number of elements ever analyzed in similar studies. Under these conditions and if, as predicted by physicochemical postulates, the amino acid properties played a fundamental role in genetic code organization, it can be expected that the code must display an extremely high level of optimization. This prediction is not supported by our analysis, which indicates, for instance, a minimization percentage of only 80%. These observations can therefore be more easily …

Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Origin
Journal of Molecular Evolution
Legacy ID
ad9f7c66224d1e0109db9088a102b2da
Biblio references
Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Pages: 372-382