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Article Dans Une Revue ChemBioChem Année : 2023

Reflections on the Origin and Early Evolution of the Genetic Code

Résumé

Examination of the genetic code (GeCo) reveals that amino acids coded by (A/U) codons display a large functional spectrum and bind RNA whereas, except for Arg, those coded by (G/C) codons do not. From a stereochemical viewpoint, the clear preference for (A/U)-rich codons to be located at the GeCo half blocks suggests they were specifically determined. Conversely, the overall lower affinity of cognate amino acids for their (G/C)-rich anticodons points to their late arrival to the GeCo. It is proposed that i) initially the code was composed of the eight (A/U) codons; ii) these codons were duplicated when G/C nucleotides were added to their wobble positions, and three new codons with G/C in their first position were incorporated; and iii) a combination of A/U and G/C nucleotides progressively generated the remaining codons.

Dates et versions

hal-04071045 , version 1 (17-04-2023)

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Citer

Juan-Carlos Fontecilla-Camps. Reflections on the Origin and Early Evolution of the Genetic Code. ChemBioChem, 2023, pp.e202300048. ⟨10.1002/cbic.202300048⟩. ⟨hal-04071045⟩
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