Effects of Frameshift Mutations
The altered coding sequence of a protein may be non-usable or a completely new protein. As a consequence, various biochemical processes may disrupt. Abrupt termination of the translation process results in non-usable protein, which further affects the associated physiological processes.
Why are frameshift mutations so severe?
Because the genetic code is read in triplets, addition or subtraction of 1 or 2 nucleotides causes a shift in the reading frame. Incorrect amino acids are inserted and often premature termination occurs when an nonsense codon is read. Frameshifts therefore cause, in general, very severe phenotypic effects.
Is frameshift mutation good or bad?
Is a deletion mutation more harmful than an insertion mutation?
