Synonymous codon usage and cost of genetic information.
Michiyasu Tanaka · PubMed · 1988
The communication system model based on the information theory is applied to the synonymous codon distribution in E.coli genes. Taking into consideration the transmission cost, it is observed that genes with higher frequency of the translationally optimal codons have smaller average cost. Moreover, an evolutionary viewpoint is suggested that biological organisms maximize the amount of the information transmitted through the translational system by reducing the costs of highly expressed genes. Finally, an interesting finding is reported that an analogue of the temperature is observed in the model and that the genes with high production levels are cold whereas those with low production levels are hot.