Mutations Notes
Mutagens The order of DNA is important so any changes can affect the protein being made DNA is constantly being exposed to mutagens Mutagens: physical or chemical agent that causes changes to the DNA A single base may be changed or a large section can be altered Ex: Sun, smoking, radiation, chemicals, even high temperatures There are two types of mutations Substitution/Point Frameshift: Insertion and deletion
5 Results of Mutations Silent mutation: When a base pair is substituted but the change still codes for the same amino acid in the sequence: Example: TCT and TCC both code for the amino acid Serine Substitution: When a base pair is substituted and the new codon codes for a different amino acid: Example: TCT codes for Serine and CCT codes for Proline Premature Stop: When a substitution results in the formation of a STOP codon before all of the codons have been read and translated by the ribosome: Example: GTGGTCCGAAACACC –– GTGGTCTGAAACACC Val-Val-Pro-Asn-Thr Val-Val-STOP
5 Results of Mutations 4. Codon Deletion or Insertion: A whole new amino acid is added, or one is missing from the sequence: Example: GTGGTCCGAAACACC –– GTGGTCTGCCGAAACACC Val-Val-Pro-Asn-Thr Val-Val-Cys-Pro-Asn-Thr 5. Frame Shift: When a deletion or insertion results in a different base pair being the beginning of the next codon, changing the whole sequence of amino acids Example: GTGGTCCGAAACACCT –– GTGGTCGAAACACCT Val-Val-Pro-Asn-Thr Val-Val-Glu-Thr-Pro
Substitution Where one base is switched with another one If a substitution changes the amino acid, it’s called a missense mutation If a substitution does not change the amino acid, it’s called a silent mutation If a substitution changes the amino acid to a “stop,” it’s called a nonsense mutation This is also called a point mutation because there is a change at a single place of DNA THE DOG BIT THE CAT THE DOG BIT THE CAR
Examples Missense Mutation Silent Mutation Nonsense Mutation AUGGUUUGC Methionine, Valine, Cytosine AUGGUUUGG Methionine, Valine, Tryptophan Silent Mutation AUGGUUUGU Nonsense Mutation AUGGUUUGA Methionine, Valine, Stop
Frameshift Insertion Deletion Base is added to the DNA Changes the rest of the “reading frame” Adding a “D” to THE DOG BIT DTH ECA T Deletion Base is removed from the DNA Also changes the reading frame Removing a “G” from THE DOB ITT HEC AT Frameshift can be more than a single base insertion or deletion An entire codon can be added or deleted
Example Insertion Deletion AUGGUUUGCA Methionine, Valine, Cytosine AUGAGUUUGCA Methionine, Serine, Leucine Deletion AUGGUUUGGA AUGGUUGCA Methionine, Valine, Alanine