Molecular mechanisms of adaptation emerging from the physics and evolution of nucleic acids and proteins.

ABSTRACT: DNA, RNA and proteins are major biological macromolecules that coevolve and adapt to environments as components of one highly interconnected system. We explore here sequence/structure determinants of mechanisms of adaptation of these molecules, links between them, and results of their mutual evolution. We complemented statistical analysis of genomic and proteomic sequences with folding simulations of RNA molecules, unraveling causal relations between compositional and sequence biases reflecting molecular adaptation on DNA, RNA and protein levels. We found many compositional peculiarities related to environmental adaptation and the life style. Specifically, thermal adaptation of protein-coding sequences in Archaea is characterized by a stronger codon bias than in Bacteria. Guanine and cytos

SUBMITTER: Goncearenco A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3950714 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature