Question

There are three codon positions 1, 2, and 3. How will point mutations at each position influence the amino acid sequence or even the protein function?

For example consider point mutations in Lysine AAG
i. Change at the first position UAG (Stop Codon) -
ii. Change at the second position AGG (Arginine) -
iii. Change at the third position AAA (Lysine) -

Answer 1

Point mutations at different codon positions can affect the amino acid sequence and protein function in various ways.

Step-by-step explanation:

A point mutation at each codon position can influence the amino acid sequence and protein function in different ways:

1. If a point mutation occurs at the first position of the codon, it can change the codon to a stop codon, resulting in premature termination of protein synthesis. This can lead to the production of a nonfunctional protein.
2. If a point mutation occurs at the second position of the codon, it can change the codon to a different amino acid, affecting the sequence and potentially altering the protein's structure and function.
3. If a point mutation occurs at the third position of the codon, it may still result in the incorporation of the same amino acid due to the degeneracy of the genetic code. However, if the third base is changed to a different nucleotide, it can lead to a missense mutation, where a different amino acid is incorporated into the protein.