English

Extreme genetic code optimality from a molecular dynamics calculation of amino acid polar requirement

Populations and Evolution 2008-04-01 v2 Quantitative Methods

Abstract

A molecular dynamics calculation of the amino acid polar requirement is presented and used to score the canonical genetic code. Monte Carlo simulation shows that this computational polar requirement has been optimized by the canonical genetic code more than any previously-known measure. These results strongly support the idea that the genetic code evolved from a communal state of life prior to the root of the modern ribosomal tree of life.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0712.3332,
  title  = {Extreme genetic code optimality from a molecular dynamics calculation of amino acid polar requirement},
  author = {Thomas Butler and Nigel Goldenfeld and Damien Mathew and Zaida Luthey-Schulten},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0712.3332},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

4 pages, 2 figures. Revised manuscript describes signature of statistical proteins