A supersymmetric model for the evolution of the genetic code

A supersymmetric model for the evolution of the genetic code

J. D. Bashford*,
I. Tsohantjis†, and
P. D. Jarvis†,‡

^*Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics, University of Adelaide Adelaide, S. A. 5005, Australia; and ^†Department of Physics, University of Tasmania GPO Box 252-21 Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia 7001

Edited by Yuval Ne’eman, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel, and approved November 13, 1997 (received for review March 6, 1997)

Abstract

A model is presented for the structure and evolution of the eukaryotic and vertebrate mitochondrial genetic codes, based on the representation theory of the Lie superalgebra A(5,0) ≃ sl(6/1). A key role is played by pyrimidine and purine exchange symmetries in codon quartets.

Footnotes

↵ ‡ To whom reprint requests should be addressed. e-mail: jarvis{at}oberon.phys.utas.edu.au.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the Proceedings Office.
Abbreviations: EC, eukaryotic code; VMC, vertebrate mitochondrial code.