Crystalizing the genetic code

New developments are presented in the framework of the model introduced by the authors in refs. [1,2] and in which nucleotides as well as codons are classified in crystal bases of the quantum group U_q(sl(2)+sl(2)) in the limit q -> 0. An operator which gives the correspondence between the amino-acids and the codons is now obtained for any known genetic code. The free energy released by base pairing of dinucleotides as well as the relative hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the dinucleosides are also computed. For the vertebrate series, a universal behaviour in the ratios of codon usage frequencies is put in evidence and is shown to fit nicely in our model. Then a first attempt to represent the mutations relative to the deletion of a pyrimidine by action of a suitable crystal spinor operator is proposed. Finally recent theoretical descriptions are reviewed and compared with our model

A minimum principle in mRNA editing ?

mRNA editing of sequences of many species is analyzed. The nature of the inserted nucleotides and the position of the insertion sites, once fixed the edited peptide chain, are explained by introducing a minimum principle in the framework of the crystal basis model of the genetic code introduced by the authors.Comment: revised extended version - includes analysis on more dat

Deformed W_N algebras from elliptic sl(N) algebras

We extend to the sl(N) case the results that we previously obtained on the construction of W_{q,p} algebras from the elliptic algebra A_{q,p}(\hat{sl}(2)_c). The elliptic algebra A_{q,p}(\hat{sl}(N)_c) at the critical level c=-N has an extended center containing trace-like operators t(z). Families of Poisson structures indexed by N(N-1)/2 integers, defining q-deformations of the W_N algebra, are constructed. The operators t(z) also close an exchange algebra when (-p^1/2)^{NM} = q^{-c-N} for M in Z. It becomes Abelian when in addition p=q^{Nh} where h is a non-zero integer. The Poisson structures obtained in these classical limits contain different q-deformed W_N algebras depending on the parity of h, characterizing the exchange structures at p \ne q^{Nh} as new W_{q,p}(sl(N)) algebras.Comment: LaTeX2e Document - packages subeqn,amsfonts,amssymb - 30 page

Universal construction of W_{p,q} algebras

We present a direct construction of abstract generators for q-deformed W_N algebras. This procedure hinges upon a twisted trace formula for the elliptic algebra A_{q,p}(sl(N)_c) generalizing the previously known formulae for quantum groups.Comment: packages amsfonts, amssym

Energy transport by neutral collective excitations at the quantum Hall edge

We use the edge of the quantum Hall sample to study the possibility for counter-propagating neutral collective excitations. A novel sample design allows us to independently investigate charge and energy transport along the edge. We experimentally observe an upstream energy transfer with respect to the electron drift for the filling factors 1 and 1/3. Our analysis indicates that a neutral collective mode at the interaction-reconstructed edge is a proper candidate for the experimentally observed effect.Comment: Final version, as appear in PR

Dictionary on Lie Superalgebras

The main definitions and properties of Lie superalgebras are proposed a la facon de a short dictionary, the different items following the alphabetical order. The main topics deal with the structure of simple Lie superalgebras and their finite dimensional representations; rather naturally, a few pages are devoted to supersymmetry. This modest booklet has two ambitious goals: to be elementary and easy to use. The beginner is supposed to find out here the main concepts on superalgebras, while a more experimented theorist should recognize the necessary tools and informations for a specific use.Comment: 145p LaTeX Document, also available at http://lapphp0.in2p3.fr/preplapp/psth/DICTIONARY_SUPER.ps.g

Impact of classical forces and decoherence in multi-terminal Aharonov-Bohm networks

Multi-terminal Aharonov-Bohm (AB) rings are ideal building blocks for quantum networks (QNs) thanks to their ability to map input states into controlled coherent superpositions of output states. We report on experiments performed on three-terminal GaAs/Al_(x)Ga_(1-x)As AB devices and compare our results with a scattering-matrix model including Lorentz forces and decoherence. Our devices were studied as a function of external magnetic field (B) and gate voltage at temperatures down to 350 mK. The total output current from two terminals while applying a small bias to the third lead was found to be symmetric with respect to B with AB oscillations showing abrupt phase jumps between 0 and pi at different values of gate voltage and at low magnetic fields, reminiscent of the phase-rigidity constraint due to Onsager-Casimir relations. Individual outputs show quasi-linear dependence of the oscillation phase on the external electric field. We emphasize that a simple scattering-matrix approach can not model the observed behavior and propose an improved description that can fully describe the observed phenomena. Furthermore, we shall show that our model can be successfully exploited to determine the range of experimental parameters that guarantee a minimum oscillation visibility, given the geometry and coherence length of a QN.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure