Dynamics of genetic code evolution: The emergence of universality

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the dynamics of genetic code evolution using a model based on horizontal gene transfer, revealing attractor behavior and linking universality to mutation rates.

Contribution

It reproduces and examines a model of genetic code evolution as a dynamical system, exploring parameter effects and automorphisms to understand universality.

Findings

Parameters vary with time show attractor dynamics.

Universality linked to mutation rate.

Model reproduces convergence to near-universal genetic code.

Abstract

We study the dynamics of genetic code evolution. The model of Vetsigian et al. [1] and Vetsigian [2] uses the mechanism of horizontal gene transfer to demonstrate convergence of the genetic code to a near universal solution. We reproduce and analyze the algorithm as a dynamical system. All the parameters used in the model are varied to assess their impact on convergence and optimality score. We show that by allowing specific parameters to vary with time, the solution exhibits attractor dynamics. Finally, we study automorphisms of the genetic code arising due to this model. We use this to examine the scaling of the solutions in order to re-examine universality and find that there is a direct link to mutation rate.