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Related Concept Videos

Genome Copying Errors02:46

Genome Copying Errors

DNA replication is a well-evolved process that copies millions of base pairs with high fidelity during each cell division. Occasionally a wrong base or a long stretch of wrong bases may get added to the daughter strands. If the errors are left unchecked, cells might accumulate several mutations that might endanger their  survival. Therefore, the copying errors are checked and repaired at three levels.
Mutations01:39

Mutations

Overview
Mutations01:35

Mutations

Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Mutations01:39

Mutations

Overview
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,...
Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material for adaptive...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Genome-wide Surveillance of Transcription Errors in Eukaryotic Organisms
09:30

Genome-wide Surveillance of Transcription Errors in Eukaryotic Organisms

Published on: September 13, 2018

Heritable change caused by transient transcription errors.

Alasdair J E Gordon1, Dominik Satory, Jennifer A Halliday

  • 1Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

Plos Genetics
|July 5, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transient errors in messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts, not DNA mutations, can cause lasting cellular identity changes. This study shows transcriptional epimutations can reprogram cellular networks, impacting evolution and disease.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cellular identity transmission requires accurate DNA replication and regulatory program propagation.
  • While DNA mutations and prions cause heritable changes, the role of transient transcriptional errors in epigenetic inheritance is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if transient transcriptional errors can lead to heritable phenotypic changes without altering DNA.
  • To explore the potential of 'transcriptional epimutations' in reprogramming cellular networks.

Main Methods:

  • Engineered an error-prone transcription sequence (A9 run) in the lac repressor gene of Escherichia coli.
  • Utilized the lac operon's bistable switch as a memory module to track consequences of transcription errors.
  • Differentiated between epigenetic switching and DNA mutation within the cell population.

Main Results:

  • The engineered 'slippery' sequence significantly increased epigenetic switching.
  • Demonstrated that altered mRNA transcripts, not DNA mutations, were responsible for the observed heritable phenotypic changes.
  • Showed that a single altered transcript can have long-term phenotypic consequences across generations.

Conclusions:

  • Transcriptional errors in mRNA can act as 'transcriptional epimutations,' causing heritable phenotypic changes.
  • These epimutations reprogram transcriptional networks, similar to DNA mutations, contributing to phenotypic diversity.
  • Findings suggest a novel mechanism for heritable variation with implications for evolution and disease.