Little Evidence the Standard Genetic Code Is Optimized for Resource Conservation
OPEN ACCESS
Author / Producer
Date
2021-11
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
OPEN ACCESS
Data
Abstract
Selection for resource conservation can shape the coding sequences of organisms living in nutrient-limited environments. Recently, it was proposed that selection for resource conservation, specifically for nitrogen and carbon content, has also shaped the structure of the standard genetic code, such that the missense mutations the code allows tend to cause small increases in the number of nitrogen and carbon atoms in amino acids. Moreover, it was proposed that this optimization is not confounded by known optimizations of the standard genetic code, such as for polar requirement or hydropathy. We challenge these claims. We show the proposed optimization for nitrogen conservation is highly sensitive to choice of null model and the proposed optimization for carbon conservation is confounded by the known conservative nature of the standard genetic code with respect to the molecular volume of amino acids. There is therefore little evidence the standard genetic code is optimized for resource conservation. We discuss our findings in the context of null models of the standard genetic code.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
External links
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
38 (11)
Pages / Article No.
5127 - 5133
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Translation; Standard genetic code; Evolutionary design principles
Organisational unit
09613 - Payne, Joshua (ehemalig) / Payne, Joshua (former)
Notes
Funding
170604 - Regulatory logic and the evolution of promoter complexity (SNF)
Related publications and datasets
Is cited by: