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Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Determining the Likelihood of Variant Pathogenicity Using Amino Acid-level Signal-to-Noise Analysis of Genetic Variation
Published on: January 16, 2019
Synonymous Variants of Uncertain Silence
Christopher J Giacoletto1,2,3, Jerome I Rotter2,4, Wayne W Grody5,6,7
1Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA.
Abstract:
Synonymous variants, traditionally regarded as silent mutations due to their lack of impact on protein sequence, structure and function, have been the subject of increasing scrutiny. This commentary explores the emerging evidence challenging the notion of synonymous variants as functionally inert. Analysis of the activity of 70 synonymous variants in the HIV Tat transcription factor revealed that 50% of the variants exhibited significant deviations from wild-type activity. Our analysis supports previous work and raises important questions about the broader impact of non-silent synonymous variants in human genes. Considering the potential functional implications, the authors propose classifying such variants as "synonymous variants of uncertain silence" (sVUS), highlighting the need for cautious interpretation and further investigations in clinical and genetic testing settings.
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