Final answer:
A single base deletion can cause a frameshift mutation, which alters the reading frame of mRNA, leading to a completely different sequence of amino acids and usually a non-functional protein due to the alterlation of the entire protein message.
Step-by-step explanation:
Single base deletion in DNA can lead to the production of a non-functional protein due to a phenomenon known as a frameshift mutation. This type of mutation occurs when the number of nucleotides inserted or deleted is not a multiple of three, which is the size of a codon that encodes for a single amino acid.
Because of this frameshift, the reading frame of the mRNA is altered. Translation of this misguided mRNA sequence results in a completely different sequence of amino acids. Furthermore, Sidney Brenner and Frances Crick's experiments showed that a single base deletion disrupts the production of the expected protein.
However, if three bases (a complete codon) are deleted, the protein can still be made, albeit with less activity. These dramatic changes often lead to non-functional proteins or premature termination of protein synthesis, which can cause a variety of biological malfunctions and diseases.
Mutations in tRNA and rRNA can also lead to defective proteins, just as a transversion mutation can produce a non-functional protein by altering crucial splicing sites of mRNA. Overall, mutations can have a wide range of effects, but it is clear that frameshift mutations caused by single base deletions are particularly damaging because they alter the entire downstream amino acid sequence, often rendering the resulting protein non-functional.