Insertion of a single nucleotide near the start of a gene typically has a more severe effect than a single missense mutation because
- Acheck_circle
Frameshift alters all downstream codons, often introducing premature stops
- B
Insertions are more easily detected by DNA repair enzymes during replication
- C
Frameshift mutations are reversed by the cell's mismatch repair machinery
- D
Insertions speed up translation, producing too many copies of the protein
Explanation
Frameshift = entire downstream sequence is mistranslated → almost always non-functional protein.