DNA missense point mutation. Animation showing a strand of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) unravelling to display its genetic code, followed by an illustration of a missense point mutation. A helicase enzyme (red) is shown moving along the DNA molecule, separating the complementary strands. The genetic code is the sequence of the nucleotide bases along a strand (cytosine, C, blue; guanine, G, yellow; adenine, A, green; thymine, T, red). The sequence is labelled here, with adjacent groups of three bases known as codons, which code for the production of amino acids (the basis of proteins). The central codon here is GTA (for the amino acid valine). This is shown mutating to GAA, which will produce a different amino acid (glutamic acid). This is known as a missense mutation, as opposed to mutations that produce nonsense or no change (a silent mutation). |