Shown here are the amino acid sequences of the wild-type and three mutant forms of a short protein.
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Wild-type: Met-Trp-Tyr-Arg-Gly-Ser-Pro-Thr
Mutant 1: Met-Trp
Mutant 2: Met-Trp-His-Arg-Gly-Ser-Pro-Thr
Mutant 3: Met-Cys-Ile-Val-Val-Val-Gln-His                                  _

Use this information to answer the following questions:

For each mutant protein, determine the specific ribonucleotide change that led to its synthesis.

Key Concepts

Amino Acid Sequence

The amino acid sequence of a protein is determined by the order of nucleotides in the corresponding mRNA, which is transcribed from DNA. Each amino acid is encoded by a set of three nucleotides, known as a codon. Understanding the relationship between the amino acid sequence and the genetic code is essential for identifying mutations and their effects on protein structure and function.

Mutations

Mutations are changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA that can lead to alterations in the amino acid sequence of proteins. These changes can be classified as substitutions, insertions, or deletions. Analyzing the specific type of mutation in the context of the provided amino acid sequences is crucial for determining how each mutant protein differs from the wild-type.

Ribonucleotide Changes

Ribonucleotide changes refer to alterations in the RNA sequence that can result from mutations in the DNA. These changes can affect the mRNA codons, leading to different amino acids being incorporated into the protein. Identifying the specific ribonucleotide changes that correspond to each mutant protein is key to understanding the genetic basis of the observed phenotypic differences.