title: The origin of the genetic code: theories and their relationships, a review.
abstract: A review of the main theories proposed to explain the origin of the genetic code is presented. I analyze arguments and data in favour of different theories proposed to explain the origin of the organization of the genetic code. It is possible to suggest a mechanism that makes compatible the different theories of the origin of the code, even if these are based on a historical or physicochemical determinism and thus appear incompatible by definition. Finally, I discuss the question of why a given number of synonymous codons was attributed to the amino acids in the genetic code.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Biophysics Adriano Buzzati-Traverso, CNR, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Giulio
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005815:Genetic Code / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D004247:DNA