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Related Concept Videos

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
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,...
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
Mismatch Repair01:20

Mismatch Repair

Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
Mismatch Repair01:36

Mismatch Repair

Overview

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay
07:44

Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay

Published on: November 28, 2019

Mutation rates: how low can you go?

Paul Sniegowski1, Yevgeniy Raynes

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19063, USA. paulsnie@sas.upenn.edu

Current Biology : CB
|February 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mutation rates in microbes with unique genomes were measured using mutation accumulation and whole-genome sequencing. Findings support the role of genetic drift in influencing mutation rates across diverse species.

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Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay
07:44

Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay

Published on: November 28, 2019

Studying Ribonucleotide Incorporation: Strand-specific Detection of Ribonucleotides in the Yeast Genome and Measuring Ribonucleotide-induced Mutagenesis
09:04

Studying Ribonucleotide Incorporation: Strand-specific Detection of Ribonucleotides in the Yeast Genome and Measuring Ribonucleotide-induced Mutagenesis

Published on: July 26, 2018

Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
18:10

Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency

Published on: June 16, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Microbial Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Understanding mutation rates is crucial for evolutionary studies.
  • Microbial models offer unique insights due to their genome size and life cycle variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure mutation rates in microbes with unusual genomic characteristics.
  • To test the hypothesis that genetic drift influences mutation rates.

Main Methods:

  • Mutation accumulation experiments.
  • Whole-genome sequencing of microbial populations.

Main Results:

  • Mutation rates were successfully measured in microbes with diverse genome sizes and life cycles.
  • The measured mutation rates align with predictions involving genetic drift.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic drift appears to be a significant factor in shaping genomic mutation rates.
  • These findings have broad implications for evolutionary biology across various taxa.