mutation

(noun)

Any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.

Related Terms

Examples of mutation in the following topics:

  • Complementation

    • These strains are true breeding for their mutation.
    • When this occurs, each strain's haploid supplies a wild-type allele to "complement" the mutated allele of the other strain's haploid, causing the offspring to have heterozygous mutations in all related genes.
    • Since the mutations are recessive, the offspring will display the wild-type phenotype.
    • In other words, if the combination of two haploid genomes containing different recessive mutations yields a mutant phenotype, then there are three possibilities: Mutations occur in the same gene; One mutation affects the expression of the other; One mutation may result in an inhibitory product.
    • If the combination of two haploid genomes containing different recessive mutations yields the wild type phenotype, then the mutations must be in different genes.

  • Mutation

    • Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons, and mutagenic chemicals.
    • This synthetic primer contains the desired mutation and is complementary to the template DNA around the mutation site so it can hybridize with the DNA in the gene of interest.
    • The mutation may be a single base change (a point mutation), multiple base changes, deletion, or insertion.
    • The copied gene contains the mutated site.
    • The distribution of fitness effects of mutations in vesicular stomatitis virus.

  • Coupling Specific Genes to Specific Organisms Using PCR

    • PCR allows for the amplification and mutation of DNA and allowing researchers to study very small samples.
    • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a useful technique for scientists, because it allows for the amplification and mutation of DNA.
    • Through PCR, the original DNA is essentially limitless, allowing scientists to induce various mutations in different genes for further study.
    • Through site-directed mutagenesis or customized primers, individual mutations in DNA can be made.
    • Describe how polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows for the amplification and mutation of DNA and enables researchers to study very small samples

  • Genetic Analysis

    • Genotypic variations exist in microbes and these include mutations, gene transfer by transformation, conjugation, and transduction.
    • Mutation is random, undirected, heritable variation caused by alteration in nucleotide sequence at some point of DNA.
    • Mutations can take the form of deletion, addition, or substitution of one or more bases.
    • All genes are susceptible to mutations, but not all mutations are expressed.

  • Cancer Viruses

    • These factors include host's genetic makeup, mutation occurrence, exposure to cancer causing agents, and immune impairment.
    • Cancer is caused by a series of mutations.

  • Nucleotide and Nonnucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

    • The first one is due to mutations in the N-terminal polymerase domain of the reverse transcriptase that makes it less likely to incorporate the analogues.
    • The second mechanism is caused by mutations in the transcriptase that allow the removal of the incorporated inhibitor and hence restart of DNA replication.
    • Resistance to the non-nucleotide inhibitors is caused by mutations in the inhibitor binding site of the enzyme.
    • Such mutations prevent the binding of the inhibitor to the enzyme.

  • Making Memory B Cells

    • Each time these cells are induced to proliferate due to an infection, the genetic region coding for the paratope undergoes spontaneous mutations with a frequency of about 1 in every 1600 cell divisions.
    • This may not seem high, but because the cells divide so often, it ends up resulting in many mutations.
    • The frequency of mutations in other cells is around 1 in 106, which is much lower.

  • Mechanisms of Resistance

    • Microorganism-mediated antimicrobial resistance is acquired by gene change or exchange such as genetic mutations, acquisition of genes from other organisms via gene transfer mechanisms, or a combination of mutational and gene transfer events.

  • Biochemical Products of Recombinant DNA Technology

    • Making possible mutation identification: due to this technology, people can be easily tested for mutated protein presence that can lead to breast cancer, neurofibromatosis, and retinoblastoma.

  • Protease Inhibitors

    • Mutations in the enzyme active site and other sites, which cause conformational changes, can cause resistance.
    • Quite often one mutation can lead to resistance to many different drugs simultaneously since they all share the same mode of action.