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frame-shift mutation

genetics
Also known as: frameshift mutation

Quick Summary

A frameshift mutation is a genetic mutation that occurs when a number of nucleotides not divisible by three is inserted into or deleted from a DNA sequence. This alteration changes the "reading frame" of the genetic code during translation, meaning that the triplets of nucleotides (codons) that are read to build a protein are shifted.

This shift can lead to a completely different sequence of amino acids being incorporated into the protein, often resulting in a non-functional protein. Frameshift mutations are distinct from point mutations, where only a single base pair is changed.123

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