nonsense mutation
Quick Summary
A nonsense mutation is a type of point mutation in genetics where a change in a DNA sequence results in a premature stop codon. This means that protein synthesis is terminated early, leading to a shortened protein that is likely to be non-functional.1
Point mutations occur when a single base pair in the DNA sequence is altered, often due to errors during DNA replication or damage from radiation. There are different types of point mutations, including silent mutations (no change in amino acid), missense mutations (change to a different amino acid), and nonsense mutations. Nonsense mutations are considered severe because they halt the production of the intended protein.1
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- heredityMechanisms of mutation
…base substitution, called a “nonsense” mutation, results in a stop codon in a position where there was not one before, which causes the premature termination of protein synthesis and, more than likely, a complete loss of function in the finished protein.
Read More…base substitution, called a “nonsense” mutation, results in a stop codon in a position where there was not one before, which causes the premature termination of protein synthesis and, more than likely, a complete loss of function in the finished protein.
Read More 
point mutationnonsense mutations. Silent mutations result in a new codon (a triplet nucleotide sequence in RNA) that codes for the same amino acid as the wild type codon in that position. In some silent mutations the codon codes for a different amino acid that happens to…
Read Morenonsense mutations. Silent mutations result in a new codon (a triplet nucleotide sequence in RNA) that codes for the same amino acid as the wild type codon in that position. In some silent mutations the codon codes for a different amino acid that happens to…
Read More