As we all know, the DNA is an information carrier. It contains several disctinct codes of which the protein code is the best known. Since about 20 years we know that the protein code is optimized for error buffering. Of more than 2.4 x 10^18 possible codes the protein code is optimal together with a score of additional protein codes, which we also observe in living systems. How do we understand this extreme fine tuning? Is there a scientific explanation why the first cells were geared with an optimal code? Is it even possible to evolve an optimal code, given that the age of the earth is about 4.54 billion years old?
First of all, there are no evidences that “the first cells” were equipped with an optimal code. Actually nothing prevents us from proposing that there were few codes simultaneously in a single cell, or that some of codes were “blurry” and the specificity increased gradually. Second, given vast diversity of codes possible, nothing supports the statement that current nuclear code is the global optimum. And finally we still may
observe sort of code evolutio in mitochondria where tRNA remolding is still possible.
Thanks for the answer. I read this paper a few years ago:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=early+fixation+of+an+optimal+code+freeland
and later this one:
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1303/1303.6739.pdf
Do you have literature on tRNA remolding in mitochondria?
Spontaneous reactions may took place combining C, H, O, N, S making first possible Amino Acid, in pre-historic era.
yep, but would that make a symmetrical code with a "intelligent" message?