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How could a mutation in DNA affect polypeptide production? A mutation in DNA can lead to changes in the sequence of nucleotides, which may result in a different mRNA transcript during the process of transcription - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 25 - 2008 - Paper 1
Question 25
How could a mutation in DNA affect polypeptide production? A mutation in DNA can lead to changes in the sequence of nucleotides, which may result in a different mRN... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:How could a mutation in DNA affect polypeptide production? A mutation in DNA can lead to changes in the sequence of nucleotides, which may result in a different mRNA transcript during the process of transcription - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 25 - 2008 - Paper 1
Step 1
How could a mutation in DNA affect polypeptide production?
Answer
A mutation in DNA can change the nucleotide sequence, resulting in an altered mRNA during transcription. This can lead to changes in the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide through translation. For instance, a point mutation may lead to a different amino acid being incorporated, affecting the protein's folding and function. Additionally, mutations can introduce premature stop codons, truncating the polypeptide and producing nonfunctional proteins, thereby significantly impacting cellular processes.
Step 2
How could a change in a polypeptide affect cell activity?
Answer
A change in a polypeptide can directly alter the functionality of proteins. For instance, if the change affects an enzyme's active site, its catalytic ability could be compromised, impacting metabolic pathways. Furthermore, structural changes may disrupt protein interactions, leading to cellular miscommunication and affecting overall cell activity, such as growth and signaling. Such modifications could result in pathological conditions depending on the protein's role in the cell.