Ancient DNA sequence revealed by error-correcting codes

Sci Rep. 2015 Jul 10:5:12051. doi: 10.1038/srep12051.

Abstract

A previously described DNA sequence generator algorithm (DNA-SGA) using error-correcting codes has been employed as a computational tool to address the evolutionary pathway of the genetic code. The code-generated sequence alignment demonstrated that a residue mutation revealed by the code can be found in the same position in sequences of distantly related taxa. Furthermore, the code-generated sequences do not promote amino acid changes in the deviant genomes through codon reassignment. A Bayesian evolutionary analysis of both code-generated and homologous sequences of the Arabidopsis thaliana malate dehydrogenase gene indicates an approximately 1 MYA divergence time from the MDH code-generated sequence node to its paralogous sequences. The DNA-SGA helps to determine the plesiomorphic state of DNA sequences because a single nucleotide alteration often occurs in distantly related taxa and can be found in the alternative codon patterns of noncanonical genetic codes. As a consequence, the algorithm may reveal an earlier stage of the evolution of the standard code.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Codon
  • DNA / analysis*
  • DNA / chemistry
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Malate Dehydrogenase / classification
  • Malate Dehydrogenase / genetics
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Substances

  • Codon
  • DNA
  • Malate Dehydrogenase