List of genetic codes


While there is much commonality, different parts of the tree of life use slightly different genetic codes. When translating from genome to protein, the use of the correct genetic code is essential. The mitochondrial codes are the relatively well-known examples of variation. The translation table list below follows the numbering and designation by NCBI. Four novel alternative genetic codes were discovered in bacterial genomes by Shulgina and Eddy using their codon assignment software Codetta, and validated by analysis of tRNA anticodons and identity elements; these codes are not currently adopted at NCBI, but are numbered here 34-37, and specified in the table below.
  1. The standard code
  2. The vertebrate mitochondrial code
  3. The yeast mitochondrial code
  4. The mold, protozoan, and coelenterate mitochondrial code and the mycoplasma/spiroplasma code
  5. The invertebrate mitochondrial code
  6. The ciliate, dasycladacean and hexamita nuclear code
  7. The deleted kinetoplast code; cf. table 4.
  8. deleted, cf. table 1.
  9. The echinoderm and flatworm mitochondrial code
  10. The euplotid nuclear code
  11. The bacterial, archaeal and plant plastid code
  12. The alternative yeast nuclear code
  13. The ascidian mitochondrial code
  14. The alternative flatworm mitochondrial code
  15. The Blepharisma nuclear code
  16. The chlorophycean mitochondrial code
  21. The trematode mitochondrial code
  22. The Scenedesmus obliquus mitochondrial code
  23. The Thraustochytrium mitochondrial code
  24. The Pterobranchia mitochondrial code
  25. The candidate division SR1 and gracilibacteria code
  26. The Pachysolen tannophilus nuclear code
  27. The karyorelict nuclear code
  28. The Condylostoma nuclear code
  29. The Mesodinium nuclear code
  30. The peritrich nuclear code
  31. The Blastocrithidia nuclear code
  32. The Balanophoraceae plastid code
  33. The Cephalodiscidae mitochondrial code
  34. The Enterosoma code
  35. The Peptacetobacter code
  36. The Anaerococcus and Onthovivens code
  37. The Absconditabacterales genetic code
The alternative translation tables involve codon reassignments that are recapitulated in the DNA and RNA codon tables.

Table summary

Comparison of alternative translation tables for all codons :
Amino-acid biochemical propertiesNonpolarPolarBasicAcidicTermination: stop codon *