The genetic code is thought to have evolved to maximize genetic stability by minimizing the effect on protein function of most substitution mutations (single-base changes). We will use the six arginine codons to test this idea. Consider all of the substitutions that could affect all of the six arginine codons.(a) How many total mutations are possible?(b) How many of these mutations are “silent,” in the sense that the mutantcodon is changed to another Arg codon?(c) How many of these mutations are conservative, in the sense that an Argcodon is changed to a functionally similar Lys codon?
Gene Interactions
When the expression of a single trait is influenced by two or more different non-allelic genes, it is termed as genetic interaction. According to Mendel's law of inheritance, each gene functions in its own way and does not depend on the function of another gene, i.e., a single gene controls each of seven characteristics considered, but the complex contribution of many different genes determine many traits of an organism.
Gene Expression
Gene expression is a process by which the instructions present in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are converted into useful molecules such as proteins, and functional messenger ribonucleic (mRNA) molecules in the case of non-protein-coding genes.
The genetic code is thought to have evolved to maximize genetic stability by minimizing the effect on protein function of most substitution mutations (single-base changes). We will use the six arginine codons to test this idea. Consider all of the substitutions that could affect all of the six arginine codons.
(a) How many total mutations are possible?
(b) How many of these mutations are “silent,” in the sense that the mutant
codon is changed to another Arg codon?
(c) How many of these mutations are conservative, in the sense that an Arg
codon is changed to a functionally similar Lys codon?
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