Rate of Mutation

Rate of Mutation

Rate of Mutation -

The frequency of spontaneous mutations is usually low, ranging form 10-7 to 10-12 per organism. The rate of detectable mutations in average gene is 1 in 106.

It should be noted, however, that most methods for estimating the rate of mutations tend to under estimate their frequency due to many reasons.

Firstly, lethal mutations which leave no progeny may be missed. Secondly, mutations which leave only a slight change in the phenotype may remain undetected.

Mutations occur much more frequently in certain regions of the gene than in others. The favoured regions are called 'hot spots'. Mutations involving single nucleotides can revert to normal gene structure. Most single nucleotide mutations are reversible.

In many cases the rate of reverse mutations is similar to the rate of forward mutations. In rare locations the rate of forward mutation is much greater than the rate of backward mutation.

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Suppressor Genes Frameshift Suppressions Molecular Basis of Mutations Spontaneous Mutations Tautomerism Induced Mutations Chemical Mutagens Base Analogues Agents Modifying Purines and Pyrimidines OR Agents Labilize the Bases Agents Producing Distortions in DNA Radiations Types of Mutations

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