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Related Concept Videos

Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

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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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Mutations in Microorganisms01:18

Mutations in Microorganisms

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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,...
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Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

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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...
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Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

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Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

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John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...
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Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay
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Measuring Microbial Mutation Rates with the Fluctuation Assay

Published on: November 28, 2019

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Evolution of the mutation rate across primates.

Manjusha Chintalapati1, Priya Moorjani1

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States; Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|July 8, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Germline mutations drive heritable variation. Recent whole genome sequencing reveals significant differences in mutation rates and patterns across primate species, with the underlying causes still under investigation.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Germline mutations are fundamental to heritable variation and evolution.
  • Whole genome sequencing (WGS) enables comprehensive analysis of mutation patterns.
  • Significant variation in mutation rates and spectra exists across primate species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on primate mutation rates.
  • To identify proposed factors explaining interspecies variation in mutation patterns.
  • To discuss implications for primate evolutionary chronology and mutagenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on primate germline mutations.
  • Analysis of data from whole genome sequencing studies.
  • Synthesis of findings on mutation rate variation and its causes.

Main Results:

  • Substantial variation in mutation rates and spectra documented across primates.
  • Several factors are proposed to explain this observed variation, though causes remain unclear.
  • These findings impact understanding of primate evolution and mutagenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Mutation rate variation is a key feature of primate evolution.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the specific drivers of mutation patterns.
  • Understanding mutation dynamics is crucial for accurate evolutionary timelines.