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Related Concept Videos

Mutations in Microorganisms01:18

Mutations in Microorganisms

Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
Bacterial Transformation01:33

Bacterial Transformation

In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
Lethal Alleles02:41

Lethal Alleles

Agouti: A Lethal Allele
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations01:30

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).
In-vitro Mutagenesis01:16

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
Mismatch Repair01:36

Mismatch Repair

Overview

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility
12:29

Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility

Published on: March 11, 2022

Lethal mutagenesis of bacteria.

James J Bull1, Claus O Wilke

  • 1Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.

Genetics
|September 11, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Lethal mutagenesis can now target bacteria, not just viruses. Mathematical models show bacteria can be eradicated by increasing their mutation rate, offering a new antimicrobial treatment strategy.

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Last Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility
12:29

Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility

Published on: March 11, 2022

Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli
09:01

Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli

Published on: March 16, 2011

Identifying DNA Mutations in Purified Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells
11:06

Identifying DNA Mutations in Purified Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells

Published on: February 24, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Lethal mutagenesis is an antiviral strategy that increases genomic mutation rates to induce pathogen extinction.
  • Its application has been restricted to RNA viruses due to their inherently high mutation rates.
  • DNA-based microbes, including bacteria, have been largely excluded due to perceived low intrinsic mutation rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of lethal mutagenesis as a treatment strategy for bacteria.
  • To model the extinction dynamics of bacterial populations under mutagenic stress.

Main Methods:

  • Development and analysis of mathematical models simulating bacterial population dynamics under lethal mutagenesis.
  • Comparison of bacterial extinction thresholds with those of RNA viruses.

Main Results:

  • Models indicate bacteria are susceptible to lethal mutagenesis, with extinction predicted at >0.69 deleterious mutations per generation.
  • Bacterial reproduction via binary fission is a key factor in achieving extinction.
  • Environmental factors like host clearance can lower the extinction threshold.

Conclusions:

  • Lethal mutagenesis is a viable strategy for targeting bacterial pathogens.
  • The study opens new avenues for antimicrobial drug development.
  • Findings have implications for understanding the evolution of antibiotic resistance and cancer mutation rates.