Figure 2.

Restrictions of genetic information transfer in altering the meaning of the genetic code. In altering the codon assignment, cells receiving genetic information will be able to truthfully replicate, transcribe and translate the encoded information, however, the resulting polypeptides will not be functional. The same holds true for the genetic information transfer from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to cells maintaining a standard genetic code. An engineered organism with a strict dependency for a non-canonical amino acid (ncAA) will not be capable of VGT in the absence of the ncAA.