A new study finds that most 'silent' mutations are harmful rather than neutral. Marshall Nirenberg, a University of Michigan alumni, and a small group of researchers cracked the genetic code of life in the early 1960s, figuring out the rule by which information stored in DNA molecules is converted
A new study finds that most “silent” mutations are harmful rather than neutral.alumni, and a small group of researchers cracked the genetic code of life in the early 1960s, figuring out the rule by which information stored inThey discovered three-letter DNA units called codons that describe each of the 20that make up proteins. This discovery would win Nirenberg and two others the Nobel Prize.
The strong non-neutrality of most synonymous mutations—if found to be true for other genes and in other organisms—would have major implications for the study of human disease mechanisms, population and conservation biology, and evolutionary biology, according to the study authors. In the past decade, anecdotal evidence has suggested that some synonymous mutations are nonneutral. Zhang and his colleagues wanted to know if such cases are the exception or the rule.
Then they quantified the “fitness” of each mutant strain by measuring how quickly it reproduced relative to the nonmutant strain. Darwinian fitness, simply put, refers to the number of offspring an individual has. In this case, measuring the reproductive rates of the yeast strains showed whether the mutations were beneficial, harmful or neutral.
“We also studied the mechanisms through which synonymous mutations affect fitness and found that at least one reason is that both synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations alter the gene-expression level, and the extent of this expression effect predicts the fitness effect.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
60-year-old Dallas sandwich shop Antoine’s Foods has closedOne of Dallas’ oldest restaurants, Antoine’s Foods, closed Aug. 13, 2022.
Read more »
2 men arrested in sex trafficking sting operation, sheriff’s office saysAuthorities arrested a 66-year-old man and a 70-year-old man on Aug. 17.
Read more »
13-year-old killed; 15-year-old injured in drive-by shooting at Longmont parkA 13-year-old boy is dead and another teen is recovering after they were hit in a drive-by shooting at a park in Longmont. Police say they are questioning a person of interest.
Read more »
Man stabbed, another struck with hammer in the Corridor neighborhoodA 21-year-old man was stabbed or slashed three times, and a 26-year-old man was struck with a hammer early Saturday morning, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Read more »
Akron police investigate deadly shooting over motorcycleAkron police said a 37-year-old man died Friday morning after being shot by a 21-year-old man.
Read more »