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Biophysical Journal 71: 1539-1544 (1996)
© 1996 the Biophysical Society

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Is there an error correcting code in the base sequence in DNA?

L S Liebovitch, Y Tao, A T Todorov and L Levine

Center for Complex Systems, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton 33431, USA. liebovitch@walt.ccs.fau.edu

ABSTRACT

Modern methods of encoding information into digital form include error check digits that are functions of the other information digits. When digital information is transmitted, the values of the error check digits can be computed from the information digits to determine whether the information has been received accurately. These error correcting codes make it possible to detect and correct common errors in transmission. The sequence of bases in DNA is also a digital code consisting of four symbols: A, C, G, and T. Does DNA also contain an error correcting code? Such a code would allow repair enzymes to protect the fidelity of nonreplicating DNA and increase the accuracy of replication. If a linear block error correcting code is present in DNA then some bases would be a linear function of the other bases in each set of bases. We developed an efficient procedure to determine whether such an error correcting code is present in the base sequence. We illustrate the use of this procedure by using it to analyze the lac operon and the gene for cytochrome c. These genes do not appear to contain such a simple error correcting code.






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Copyright © 1996 by the Biophysical Society.