Evolution of the genetic code from the GC- to the AGUC-alphabet

TL;DR

This paper proposes a hypothesis for the evolution of the genetic code driven by spontaneous nucleotide damage, explaining its stability, dialects, and symmetrical structure through AT-enrichment.

Contribution

It introduces a new hypothesis linking nucleotide damage to genetic code evolution, emphasizing the transition from GC to AGUC alphabet.

Findings

Explains genetic code stability against point mutations

Accounts for existence of code dialects

Describes symmetry in the genetic code table

Abstract

A hypothesis of the evolution of the genetic code is proposed, the leading mechanism of which is the nucleotide spontaneous damage leading to AT-enrichment of the genome. The hypothesis accounts for stability of the genetic code towards point mutations, the presence of code dialects, and the symmetry of the genetic code table.