Which small-scale mutation would be most likely to have a catastrophic effect on the functioning of a protein?
A) a base substitution
B) a base deletion near the start of a gene
C) a base deletion near the end of the coding sequence, but not in the terminator codon
D) deletion of three bases near the start of the coding sequence, but not in the initiator codon
E) a base insertion near the end of the coding sequence, but not in the terminator codon

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A base deletion near the start of a gene has the potential to cause a frameshift mutation, shifting the reading frame of the codons downstream of the deletion. This can result in a completely different amino acid sequence being produced, and therefore a dysfunctional protein.

Which Small-Scale Mutation Would Be Most Likely to Have a Catastrophic