title: A statistical test of hypotheses on the organization and origin of the genetic code.
abstract: Theories of the origin of the genetic code assign different weights to amino acid properties such as polarity and precursor-product relationship. Previous statistical work on the origin of the genetic code has produced controversial results. We analyze relationships between various amino acid and tRNA properties by one and the same statistical method. It is shown that polarities as well as precursor-product relationships are both likely to have been important in shaping the genetic code, together with codon swapping that left protein sequences intact.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Mathematical Biology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szathmáry
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zintzaras
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003062:Codon; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D003062:Codon; D012343:RNA, Transfer