title: Genetic code mutations: the breaking of a three billion year invariance.
abstract: The genetic code has been unchanging for some three billion years in its canonical ensemble of encoded amino acids, as indicated by the universal adoption of this ensemble by all known organisms. Code mutations beginning with the encoding of 4-fluoro-Trp by Bacillus subtilis, initially replacing and eventually displacing Trp from the ensemble, first revealed the intrinsic mutability of the code. This has since been confirmed by a spectrum of other experimental code alterations in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. To shed light on the experimental conversion of a rigidly invariant code to a mutating code, the present study examined code mutations determining the propagation of Bacillus subtilis on Trp and 4-, 5- and 6-fluoro-tryptophans. The results obtained with the mutants with respect to cross-inhibitions between the different indole amino acids, and the growth effects of individual nutrient withdrawals rendering essential their biosynthetic pathways, suggested that oligogenic barriers comprising sensitive proteins which malfunction with amino acid analogues provide effective mechanisms for preserving the invariance of the code through immemorial time, and mutations of these barriers open up the code to continuous change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Applied Genomics Center, Fok Ying Tung Graduate School, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Wai-Kin
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Mat
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: J Tze-Fei
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005815:Genetic Code / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D014364:Tryptophan
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