Codon-anticodon interaction and the genetic code evolution.

Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy. sciarrino@na.infn.it

Bio Systems 2013 Mar

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The evolution of the genetic code, with 20 amino acids encoded from the beginning, is analyzed from the viewpoint of codon-anticodon interaction. Imposing a minimum principle for the interaction, in the framework of the so called crystal basis model of the genetic code, we determine the structure of the anticodons in the ancient, archetypal and early genetic codes, that are all reconciled in a unique frame. Most of our results agree with the generally accepted scheme. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.