Question

Your gene has the following codons: AGG GTC TAT TCC ATA. Before the last codon, these two base pairs are inserted: TG. What kind of mutation would this result in?

a) Silent mutation
b) Missense mutation
c) Nonsense mutation
d) Frameshift mutation

Answer 1

Inserting two base pairs into a gene sequence causes a frameshift mutation, altering the reading frame and potentially resulting in a nonfunctional protein.

Step-by-step explanation:

The insertion of two base pairs TG before the last codon AGG GTC TAT TCC ATA in the gene sequence would result in a frameshift mutation. This type of mutation occurs because the insertion changes the reading frame of the triplets that the ribosome reads to make a protein. Unlike a silent mutation, which does not change the amino acid and therefore has no effect on the protein, a frameshift mutation changes every amino acid that follows the point of mutation and can have drastic effects on the resulting protein, often rendering it nonfunctional.