The occurrence in amino acid sequences of extensive informational symmetries based on possible codon-codon complementarity in the encoding polynucleotides.
1. A procedure is described for the detection and assessment of informational complementarity in an amino acid sequence; it is based on possible autocomplementarity in the mRNA, and involves codon-to-codon matching. 2. This procedure was applied to myelin basic protein, a variety of protamines, histone IV, silk fibroin, rat skin collagen alpha1 chain and a sheep keratin. A multiplicity of extensive low-probability informational symmetries, based on codon-to-codon matching, were detected. 3. These low-probability orderings, which are independent of the actual mRNA codons, are rationalized in terms of the evolutionary ordering of the amino acid sequences concerned, in such a way that constraints on the secondary structure of the coding polynucleotides were satisfied. This possible interpretation is supported by a number of significant common properties of the protein sequences analysed.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003062:Codon; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D005349:Fibroins / Q000032:analysis; D006657:Histones / Q000032:analysis; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000737:chemistry; D011479:Protamines / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats
D003062:Codon; D006657:Histones; D011479:Protamines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007633:Keratins; D003094:Collagen; D005349:Fibroins