Codon swapping as a possible evolutionary mechanism |
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Authors: | Eörs Szathmáry |
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Affiliation: | 1. Ecological Research Group, Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology, E?tv?s University, Kun Béla tér 2, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
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Abstract: | Summary It is apparent in the genetic code that amino acids of similar chemical nature have similar codons. I show how through successive codon captures (multiple rounds of Osawa-Jukes type reassignments), complete codon swappings in an unfavorable genetic code are evolutionarily feasible. This mechanisms could have complemented the ambiguity reduction and the vocabulary extension processes of codon-amino acid assignments. Evolution of wobble rules is implied. Transfer RNA molecules and synthetases may still carry memories of it. |
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Keywords: | Genetic code Codon capture Codon swapping Codon shuffling Ambiguity reduction Molecular evolution Origin of life |
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