Alternative yeast nuclear code

Last updated July 25, 2025

The alternative yeast nuclear code (translation table 12) is a genetic code found in certain yeasts. However, other yeast, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Candida azyma , Candida diversa , Candida magnoliae , Candida rugopelliculosa , Yarrowia lipolytica , and Zygoascus hellenicus , definitely use the standard (nuclear) code.^[1]

The code

AAs = FFLLSSSSYY**CC*WLLLSPPPPHHQQRRRRIIIMTTTTNNKKSSRRVVVVAAAADDEEGGGG

Starts = -------------------M---------------M----------------------------

Base1 = TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Base2 = TTTTCCCCAAAAGGGGTTTTCCCCAAAAGGGGTTTTCCCCAAAAGGGGTTTTCCCCAAAAGGGG

Base3 = TCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAGTCAG

Bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T) or uracil (U).

Amino acids: Alanine (Ala, A), Arginine (Arg, R), Asparagine (Asn, N), Aspartic acid (Asp, D), Cysteine (Cys, C), Glutamic acid (Glu, E), Glutamine (Gln, Q), Glycine (Gly, G), Histidine (His, H), Isoleucine (Ile, I), Leucine (Leu, L), Lysine (Lys, K), Methionine (Met, M), Phenylalanine (Phe, F), Proline (Pro, P), Serine (Ser, S), Threonine (Thr, T), Tryptophan (Trp, W), Tyrosine (Tyr, Y), Valine (Val, V).

Differences from the standard code


DNA codons	RNA codons	This code (12)		Standard code (1)
`CTG`	`CUG`	`Ser(S)`		`Leu(L)`

Alternative initiation codons

CAG may be used in Candida albicans .^[2]

Systematic range

Endomycetales (yeasts): Candida albicans , Candida cylindracea , Candida melibiosica , Candida parapsilosis , and Candida rugosa .^[1]

References

This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.^[3]

1 2 T. Ohama; T. Suzuki; M. Mori; S. Osawa; T. Ueda; K. Watanabe; T. Nakase (25 August 1993). "Non-universal decoding of the leucine codon CUG in several Candida species". Nucleic Acids Res. 21 (17): 4039–45. doi:10.1093/nar/21.17.4039. PMC 309997 . PMID 8371978.
↑ M. A. Santos; G. Keith; M. F. Tuite (February 1993). "Non-standard translational events in Candida albicans mediated by an unusual seryl-tRNA with a 5'-CAG-3' (leucine) anticodon". EMBO J. 12 (2): 607–16. doi:10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05693.x. PMC 413244 . PMID 8440250.
↑ Elzanowski A, Ostell J, Leipe D, Soussov V. "The Genetic Codes". Taxonomy browser. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 March 2016.

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[Omaha-1] 1 2 T. Ohama; T. Suzuki; M. Mori; S. Osawa; T. Ueda; K. Watanabe; T. Nakase (25 August 1993). "Non-universal decoding of the leucine codon CUG in several Candida species". Nucleic Acids Res. 21 (17): 4039–45. doi:10.1093/nar/21.17.4039. PMC 309997 . PMID 8371978.

[Santos-2] M. A. Santos; G. Keith; M. F. Tuite (February 1993). "Non-standard translational events in Candida albicans mediated by an unusual seryl-tRNA with a 5'-CAG-3' (leucine) anticodon". EMBO J. 12 (2): 607–16. doi:10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05693.x. PMC 413244 . PMID 8440250.

[NCBI-3] Elzanowski A, Ostell J, Leipe D, Soussov V. "The Genetic Codes". Taxonomy browser. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 March 2016.

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