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Published online on July 3, 2006, 10.1073/pnas.0603780103

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What's this?

Evolution
Collective evolution and the genetic code

( horizontal gene transfer )

Kalin Vetsigian *, Carl Woese {dagger}{ddagger}{sect}, and Nigel Goldenfeld *{ddagger}

Departments of *Physics and {dagger}Microbiology and {ddagger}Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801

Contributed by Carl Woese, May 16, 2006

A dynamical theory for the evolution of the genetic code is presented, which accounts for its universality and optimality. The central concept is that a variety of collective, but non-Darwinian, mechanisms likely to be present in early communal life generically lead to refinement and selection of innovation-sharing protocols, such as the genetic code. Our proposal is illustrated by using a simplified computer model and placed within the context of a sequence of transitions that early life may have made, before the emergence of vertical descent.

Author contributions: K.V., C.W., and N.G. designed research, performed research, and wrote the paper.

Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.

{sect}To whom correspondence may be addressed.

To whom correspondence may be addressed at: Department of Physics and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801.

Carl Woese, E-mail: carl{at}ninja.life.uiuc.edu
Nigel Goldenfeld, E-mail: nigel{at}uiuc.edu

www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0603780103
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