Noise immunity of the genetic code

Abstract

Error detection and correction properties are fundamental for informative codes. Hamming's distance allows us to study this noise resistance. We present codes characterized by the resistance optimization to nonsense mutational effects. The calculation of the cumulated Hamming's distance allowing to determine the number of optimal codes and their structure can be detailed. The principle of these laws of optimization of resistance consists of choosing constituent codons connected by mutational neighbouring in such a way that random application of mutations on such a code minimize the occurrence of nonsense n-uplets or terminators. New coding symmetries are then described and screened using Galois's polynomials properties and Baudot's code. Such a study can be applied to any length of the codons. Here we present the principles of this optimization for the most simple doublet codes. Another constraint is discussed: the distribution of optimal subcodes for synonymity and the frequencies of utilization of the different codons. We compare these results to those of the present genetic code, and we observe that all coded amino acids (except the particular case of SER) are using optimal sub-codes of synonymity. This work suggests that the appearance of the genetic code was provoked by mutations while optimizing on several levels its resistance to their effects. Thus genetic coding would have been the best automata that could be produced in prebiotic conditions.