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The scene of a frozen accident

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2000

ANDREW D. ELLINGTON
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
MAKSIM KHRAPOV
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
CHAD A. SHAW
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, USA
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Abstract

It has been suggested that in vitro selection experiments can provide information not only on what might have occurred during the evolution of the RNA world, but can in fact yield insights into particular features of the RNA world. In particular, it has been suggested that the sequences of anti-amino acid aptamers can provide clues to the origin of the genetic code, and that there is a statistically significant association between motifs found in aptamers and codons. We argue that the suggested connections between modern motifs and ancient sequences are logically tenuous, and show that there is no statistically meaningful association between motifs found in aptamers and codons.

Type
PERSPECTIVES
Copyright
© 2000 RNA Society

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