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Codons and nearest-neighbor nucleotide pairs in mammalian messenger RNA

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Summary

The codons in four mammalian messenger RNAs (rabbitβ hemoglobin, rat pre-proinsulin, rat pre-growth hormone and human chorionic somatomammotropin) show a predominance of C and G in third nucleotide positions. The C:U ratio is about 2 to 1, and the G:A ratio is about 4 to 1. The possibility is discussed that this disproportionality resulted from DNA replicative errors that favor C·G pairs over A·T pairs, as found in theE.coli mut T strain.

“Nearest neighbor” base pairs (“doublets”) in the protien-coding regions ofφX174 and in four mammalian mRNAs have been compared. Mammalian mRNA has a low content of CpG in comparison with expectations from its C and G content.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Thomas H. Jukes

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  1. Thomas H. Jukes
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Jukes, T.H. Codons and nearest-neighbor nucleotide pairs in mammalian messenger RNA. J Mol Evol 11, 121–127 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733888

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733888

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