Pattern analysis of the genetic code (Q1102890)

This paper considers the genetic code to be a mapping from one finite set (e.g., the \(4^ 3=64\) codons, ordered triplets chosen from the 4 nucleotides) to another (e.g., the 20 amino acids and the termination signal). Codon degeneracy in the genetic code often occurs in the third position, e.g., the codons UCU, UCC, UCA and UCG all code for the amino acid Serine. This paper systematically determines genetic mappings of greater degeneracy which closely approximate the actual genetic code. Metrics on the amino acids correspond to metrics on the mappings and the standard ranking of the three codon positions \((2nd>1st>3rd)\) is confirmed for two different metrics. Implications for codes other than the standard genetic code are discussed.