Question

Mutations can be classi?ed by their effect on the DNA sequence OR the encoded protein. a. How do mutations in the DNA alter protein structure? b. How do mutations in proteins alter their function? c. Why are some mutations less deleterious than others?

Answer 1

Mutations can cause a change in an entire gene or a particular region rendering the protein over active or inactive. It can change the folding properties of a protein by altering its structure, as the mutation can cause incorporation of hybhopic residue inplace of hydrophillic or positive charged residue inolace of negative and viceversa.

Likewise proteins have soecific residues at the active site and mutation can bring out change in them causing a protein to overactive or inactive.

Some mutations can be same sense where in the mutation can cause change in nucleotides while there is no change in aminoacid sequence due to degeneracy of genetic cods causing no significant change in protein function. While tgere are certain mutations like insertions or deletions which can change the entire frame of a protein and hence causing an abnormal expression of protein.