Gene Mutations Flashcards
How do mutations occur?
randomly
How often do mutations occur?
rarely
How do spontaneous mutations occur?
mutations that arise mainly through errors in DNA replication (without exposure to mutagens)
How do induced mutations arise?
through the exposure to mutagens (often called carcinogens)
When are mutations heritable?
When they occur in germ-line cells they will end up in sperm or egg and be passed on
When are mutations not heritable?
when they occur in somatic cells
How do mutations change the DNA?
Substitute
add
delete
one or more DNA base pairs
Where do point mutations occur?
at specific, identifiable position in a gene
or
a specific location in the genome
Describe base-pair substitution mutations
the replacement of one nucleotide base pair by another
What are the 3 types of base-pair substitution mutations?
synonymous
missense
nonsense
Describe synonymous mutations
a base-pair change that does not alter the result of the amino acid
Why do synonymous mutations occur?
because of the redundancy of the genetic code and the wobble position
Describe missense mutations
a base-pair change that results in an amino acid change in the protein
Describe nonsense mutations
base-pair change that creates a stop codon instead of a regular codon for an amino acid
Describe frameshift mutations
when there is an insertion or deletion of one or more base pairs in the coding region of a gene that changes the reading frame of the message
Where does the frameshift mutation occur? What does this change cause?
in the mRNA
it alters the reading frame of the message
What are the consequences of frameshift mutations?
premature stop codons can be produced
the wrong amino acid sequence can be produced starting from the point of mutation
Describe mutations in regulatory regions/noncoding regions
mutations that change the amount of protein produced by a gene but not the amino acid sequence
T or F: regulatory mutations change the amino acid sequence
false! they change the amount of protein produced by a gene
What regions can regulatory mutations affect?
promoters
introns
regions that code for 5’-UTR and 3’-UTR
Describe promoter mutations
mutations that alter consensus sequence nucleotides of promoters
What are the consequences of promoter mutations?
interference of transcription initiation:
mild-moderate reductions in transcription levels
stopping transcription