Four children of a man and woman who are second cousins have too few teeth,which is an autosomal recessive condition called oligodontia caused by mutation in a gene called LTPB3 on chromosome 11.The affected individuals are also short,with increased bone density in the spine and skull.The protein that causes the symptoms by affecting certain bone cells is too short.The mutation in this family is most likely

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The symptoms in the affected individuals indicate a loss-of-function mutation in the LTPB3 gene. Since the protein causing the symptoms is too short, it is likely that the mutation creates a premature stop codon, leading to a truncated protein. This type of mutation is called a nonsense mutation.

Four Children of a Man and Woman Who Are Second