title: Structural and thermodynamic properties of DNA uncover different evolutionary histories.
abstract: We propose an index of DNA homogeneity (IDH) based on a binary distribution model that quantifies structural and thermodynamic aggregates present in DNA primary structures. Extensive analysis of sequence databases with the IDH uncovers significant constraints on DNA sequence other than those derived from codon usage or protein function. This index clearly distinguishes between organisms of different evolutive origins and places them in disjoint domains of DNA sequence space.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miramontes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Medrano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cerpa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cedergren
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferbeyre
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cocho
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication; D008957:Models, Genetic; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004247:DNA