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Evolution of the Standard Genetic Code.

Michael Yarus1

  • 1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309-0347, USA. yarus@colorado.edu.

Journal of Molecular Evolution
|January 24, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Standard Genetic Code likely evolved through specific evolutionary pathways, avoiding random assignments and disorder. A superior route to the SGC was identified, emphasizing limited randomness and chemical coevolution.

Keywords:
Coding tableCodonDistribution fitnessEvolutionTriplet

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Area of Science:

  • Origin of Life Studies
  • Molecular Evolution
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The near-universal Standard Genetic Code (SGC) suggests a single origin for life on Earth.
  • Understanding the evolutionary trajectory to the SGC is crucial for deciphering early life events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compute and compare plausible evolutionary paths leading to the Standard Genetic Code.
  • To identify superior evolutionary routes and quantify evolutionary progress.

Main Methods:

  • Defined objective progress values (0 to 1) to measure evolutionary distance from random coding to the SGC.
  • Analyzed progress types including Polar Requirement spacing, mutational distance, and chemical order.
  • Modeled coding system evolution based on RNA-aminoacyl-RNA synthetase reactions, considering wobble, stereochemistry, and mutation propagation.

Main Results:

  • SGC-like coding can emerge from traditional evolutionary mechanisms, with identifiable superior routes.
  • Evolutionary progress is sensitive to disorder from random assignments and slows as coding nears completion.
  • Two distinct evolutionary paths, 'late wobble' and 'continuous wobble,' were compared for SGC emergence.
  • Revised evolutionary models incorporating limited randomness and chemical coevolution yield SGC-like codes with high progress values.

Conclusions:

  • The Standard Genetic Code likely evolved through specific, ordered pathways, avoiding pitfalls of random assignment and evolutionary slowdown.
  • A revised model of coding evolution, emphasizing specific mechanisms, can generate SGC-like codes efficiently.
  • The study provides insights into the unique evolutionary pressures that shaped the genetic code.