The Modular Structure of Informational Sequences
Schmitt AO, Ebeling W, Herzel H
Biosystems,
37(3): 199-210 (1996)
Abstract
It is shown that DNA sequences can be decomposed into smaller units much the same as texts can be
decomposed into syllables, words, or groups of words. Those smaller units (modules) are extracted from
DNA sequences according to statistical criteria. Tests with sequences of known modular structure (two
novels and a FORTRAN source code) were performed. The rate to which DNA sequences can be
decomposed into modules (modularity) turns out to be a very sensitive measure to distinguish DNA
sequences from random sequences.
