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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).
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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Development of Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes TILLING Populations in Small Grain Crops by Ethyl Methanesulfonate Mutagenesis
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Ageing: How Do Long-Lived Plants Escape Mutational Meltdown?

Edwin P Groot1, Thomas Laux1

  • 1BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.

Current Biology : CB
|July 13, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Ancient trees avoid mutation buildup with fewer stem cell divisions than expected. Their mutational load depends on branching order, not just size.

Area of Science:

  • Botany
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Long-lived organisms, such as ancient trees, face challenges in preventing the accumulation of deleterious mutations over extended lifespans.
  • Understanding the mechanisms that mitigate mutation accumulation is crucial for comprehending longevity and evolutionary stability in plants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between plant stature, stem cell division, and mutational load in long-lived trees.
  • To determine if mutational load scales with organism size or with developmental complexity, such as branching patterns.

Main Methods:

  • The study likely involved comparative analysis of stem cell division rates in trees of varying sizes and ages.
  • Analysis may have included sequencing or other methods to quantify somatic mutations across different plant tissues and branching orders.

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Related Experiment Videos

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Main Results:

  • Massive tree stature is achieved with a surprisingly low number of stem cell divisions.
  • The accumulation of deleterious mutations (mutational load) is not directly proportional to the overall stature of the tree.
  • Mutational load is more closely correlated with the branching order within the plant's structure.

Conclusions:

  • Ancient trees possess effective mechanisms to limit mutation accumulation, independent of sheer size.
  • Branching patterns, representing developmental complexity, play a more significant role in determining mutational load than overall plant stature.
  • These findings offer new insights into the evolutionary strategies plants employ to ensure long-term survival and genetic integrity.