The spontaneous reversion rate for a chemically induced mutation is 1 × 10^-⁸.For EMS ,the rate is 0.9 × 10^-⁸,and for acridine,it is 2 × 10^-⁵.What change was involved in the original mutation? A)an AT to CG transversion B)an AT to GC transition C)a frameshift mutation D)a GC to AT transition E)a GC to TA transversion

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reversion rate for the chemically induced mutation is very high, suggesting that this mutation is likely a frameshift mutation. Frameshift mutations occur when an insertion or deletion of one or more nucleotides shifts the reading frame of the codons, resulting in a completely different amino acid sequence downstream of the mutation. This type of mutation is not likely to revert back to the original sequence without further genetic modifications. Therefore, the best choice is C, a frameshift mutation. None of the other answer choices are consistent with a frameshift mutation.

The Spontaneous Reversion Rate for a Chemically Induced Mutation Is