Brilliant article on the evolution of the triplet codon from a doublet

[Jet Black]

http://www.physorg.com/news5570.html

quite new this, rather interesting and I hope you enjoy reading it. one neat little feature of this that shouldn't be missed, is that it points to the development of life in hot regions, such as sulphur vents, and also that the structure of the genetic code now actually makes more sense than it did before. Incidentally, if someone can get hold of the original paper for me, you would make me a very happy person :)

[Oolon Colluphid]

Can't get the full thing, but the abstract runs:

Evolution of the Genetic Triplet Code via Two Types of Doublet Codons

Huan-Lin Wu, Stefan Bagby, Jean M.H. and den van Elsen

Explaining the apparent non-random codon distribution and the nature and number of amino acids in the ‘standard’ genetic code remains a challenge, despite the various hypotheses so far proposed. In this paper we propose a simple new hypothesis for code evolution involving a progression from singlet to doublet to triplet codons with a reading mechanism that moves three bases each step. We suggest that triplet codons gradually evolved from two types of ambiguous doublet codons, those in which the first two bases of each three-base window were read (‘prefix’ codons) and those in which the last two bases of each window were read (‘suffix’ codons). This hypothesis explains multiple features of the genetic code such as the origin of the pattern of four-fold degenerate and two-fold degenerate triplet codons, the origin of its error minimising properties, and why there are only 20 amino acids.

[Jet Black]

yeap, pretty cool isn't it?

[Doubting Didymus]

I have it. Darn things not a pdf, so it's saved as a web page with seperate pictures.

Want it?

[Doubting Didymus]

Too late! I have important drinking to catch up on. I'll need an email address if no-one else can furnish you with a copy in the meantime.

[Nice Squirrel]

Ahh, behold the power of a major research institution. Check your email.

[Oolon Colluphid]

Me too please!