Protein coding genes are composed of multiple codons, sequences of three nucleotides that each code for a specific amino acid. Given that multiple codons may encode a single amino acid, which of the following nucleotide substitutions in a codon would be LEAST likely to affect protein structure?A.Substitution of the nucleotide in the first position of a codonB.Substitution of the nucleotide in the second position of a codonC.Substitution of the nucleotide in the third position of a codonD.Substitution of any one nucleotide within a codon has an equal probability of affecting protein structure.
Question
Protein coding genes are composed of multiple codons, sequences of three nucleotides that each code for a specific amino acid. Given that multiple codons may encode a single amino acid, which of the following nucleotide substitutions in a codon would be LEAST likely to affect protein structure?A.Substitution of the nucleotide in the first position of a codonB.Substitution of the nucleotide in the second position of a codonC.Substitution of the nucleotide in the third position of a codonD.Substitution of any one nucleotide within a codon has an equal probability of affecting protein structure.
Solution
The answer is C. Substitution of the nucleotide in the third position of a codon. This is due to the phenomenon known as "wobble", where changes in the third position of the codon often do not change the amino acid that is coded for. This is because the genetic code is degenerate, meaning multiple codons can code for the same amino acid. Therefore, a substitution in the third position is least likely to affect the protein structure.
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