Gene Mutations Name _______________________

Introduction
We know that the structure of DNA molecules is related to the structure of protein molecules. Now it is
possible for you to understand more clearly what is meant by gene mutations. You can easily arrive at
such an understanding by working out some hypothetical examples.

Procedure
A. Assume that figure 1 represents a part of a DNA molecule. The whole molecule is much
longer, and the strands of deoxyribose and phosphate groups have been omitted. The key to
the base is:

A – adenine C – cytosine G – guanine T – thymine

Using the upper strand as a template, construct the complementary lower strand of the
DNA molecule.

Figure 1
—T—T—A—C—A—T—C—G—A—A—A—G—G—T—C—A—T—G—A—T—C—

B. Assume that the lower strand you just created is the one from which a messenger RNA strand
will be copied. Using paper and pencil, write the sequence of bases in an mRNA strand that
will be formed on the DNA strand. (Remember that in RNA (U) uracil replaces thymine.)

C. Reading from left to right, divide your sequence of mRNA bases into code triplets (codons).
Then using figure 2, construct the protein segment, the chain of amino acids that is specified
by your sequence of mRNA codons.

Figure 2 An incomplete chart of amino acids.

AAG – Lysine AUC – Isoleucine AUG – Methionine
CAU – Histidine CGA – Arginine GAA – Glutamic acid
GGA – Glycine GUC – Valine UAC – Tyrosine
UCA – Serine UGA – None UUA - Leucine

D. Assume that by radiation, a geneticist destroys and thus removes that left-most base pair of
the DNA molecule shown in Figure 1. To discover the effect of this kind of mutations,
construct a new mRNA chain indicated by the remaining letters, starting at the new base on
the left.

E. Again using the chart of amino acids, construct the new protein indicated by the complete
codons of the new mRNA strand.

What has happened to the codon on the right end of the protein? _____________________
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 The codon that does not appear in the chart specifies arginine. Thus a single amino acid can
be specified by more than one codon.

Does the deletion in the DNA molecule change the resulting protein? If so, in what way?
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One codon (UGA) in the altered mRNA does not specify an amino acid. Codons of this
sort specify the end of the protein chain.

F. Assume that the radiation deleted the first three base pairs on the left instead of just the first
one.
Would this kind of deletion have more or less of an effect on an amino acid sequence than
the deletion of a single base pair? ____________________________________________
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Discussion
Occasionally, errors in DNA replication occur – apparently without environmental causes. For
example, at rare intervals adenine pairs with cytosine instead of thymine. Studies of amino acid
sequences in hemoglobin show that there is only one difference between non-sickling hemoglobin
and sickle-cell hemoglobin. This results from the substitution of one amino acid (valine) for another
(glutamic acid). This occurs in a polypeptide chain 146 amino acids long!!!!

List some causes for mutations. ____________________________________________

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Define mutation. _______________________________________________________

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What happens within the DNA molecule when a mutation occurs? ________________
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Why are some DNA mutations so harmful and others not? _______________________
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