Which point 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 is most likely to have a catastrophic effect on the functioning of a protein because it can cause a frameshift mutation, altering the reading frame of the rest of the sequence. This can lead to the production of a completely different and non-functional protein.

Which Point Mutation Would Be Most Likely to Have a Catastrophic