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Related Concept Videos

Mutations01:39

Mutations

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Overview
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Mutations01:35

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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.
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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).
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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...
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When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
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Point mutations are genetic alterations involving the change of a single nucleotide base pair in DNA. Depending on how the alteration affects protein synthesis, they can lead to various consequences.Point mutations fall into the following types:Silent mutations occur when a nucleotide change does not alter the amino acid sequence due to the redundancy of the genetic code. For instance, changing ACC to ACA still encodes threonine, leaving the protein function unaffected. This occurs because...
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Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay
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A cautionary note on the mutation frequency in microbial research.

Qi Zheng1

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M School of Public Health, 212 Adriance Lab Road, College Station, TX 77843, United States.

Mutation Research
|April 30, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study advocates for using mutation rates over mutation frequencies in microbial research. Shifting focus addresses critical issues like false positives and nonmutant cell death for more accurate mutability assessment.

Keywords:
Cell deathFalse positiveMutation frequencyMutation rateMutator

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Mutation frequency (MF) is historically dominant for measuring microbial mutability.
  • MF is an unnormalized quantity, making it prone to variability and misinterpretation.
  • Current methods using MF in mutator identification face significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the limitations of using mutation frequency in microbial research.
  • To advocate for the adoption of mutation rates (MR) as a more robust metric.
  • To draw attention to critical issues like false positive control and cell death.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis and critique of existing methodologies in microbial mutability studies.
  • Comparison of mutation frequency (unnormalized) versus mutation rate (normalized) metrics.
  • Discussion of implications for experimental design and data interpretation.

Main Results:

  • Mean mutation frequency is highly erratic and unreliable for assessing microbial mutability.
  • Median mutation frequency does not effectively resolve the inherent issues of MF.
  • Transitioning to mutation rates is essential for accurate and reproducible research.

Conclusions:

  • Mutation rates provide a more accurate and reliable measure of microbial mutability than mutation frequencies.
  • Adopting mutation rates will help address critical challenges in mutator identification, including false positives and nonmutant cell death.
  • This shift is crucial for advancing the field of microbial genetics and experimental microbiology.