Give an example of what happens if reading frames are altered.

Give an example of what happens if reading frames are altered.

• A. Insertion shifts by one nucleotide only changes one amino acid
• B. Widespread changes in amino acid sequence and possible premature stop
• C. The protein remains unchanged
• D. It only affects intron splicing

Answer: (B)

When reading frames are altered, the grouping of nucleotides into codons shifts, so every codon downstream changes. An insertion or deletion not in multiples of three disrupts the entire downstream sequence, leading to a completely different set of amino acids and often a premature stop codon. That cascade explains why you see widespread changes in the amino acid sequence and a possible truncated protein. The idea that only one amino acid would change is not correct because the frame shift affects all subsequent codons, not just a single position. The protein wouldn’t remain unchanged, and the primary consequence is not about intron splicing but the altered coding sequence producing a dysfunctional protein.

When reading frames are altered, the grouping of nucleotides into codons shifts, so every codon downstream changes. An insertion or deletion not in multiples of three disrupts the entire downstream sequence, leading to a completely different set of amino acids and often a premature stop codon. That cascade explains why you see widespread changes in the amino acid sequence and a possible truncated protein. The idea that only one amino acid would change is not correct because the frame shift affects all subsequent codons, not just a single position. The protein wouldn’t remain unchanged, and the primary consequence is not about intron splicing but the altered coding sequence producing a dysfunctional protein.