acid or the functionality of the protein as a whole of an organism. However, occasionally only a single
amino acid may alter, and if it shares the same characteristics as the amino acid that has been replaced,
then only a minor alteration will take place (Editors, 2018). The functioning of the protein produced as a
result of silent mutations is often unaffected. Many different mutagens, as well as biological, chemical,
and physical factors, can cause silent mutations. Other types of mutations that have detrimental effects
on protein functioning and the potential to cause protein loss include missense, absurdity, and
frameshift mutations. Since the function of the protein is generally unaffected, silent mutations are
typically not discovered. Although a silent mutation frequently has no effect on the amino acid sequence
of a protein, it can influence how the protein folds and performs (Mollard, 2007).
Transferring genetic information from the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence to the amino acid sequence
of a protein product will assist you in comprehending silent mutations to a great extent if you grasp the
fundamental principles of biology and genetic research. The multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) gene in
people contains a silent mutation. MDR1 is located in the gut, liver, pancreas, and brain, where it works
with CYP3A4, an enzyme that removes toxins and drugs from the liver and intestine. MDR1 genes for the
P-glycoprotein, which has advantages for the human body (Mollard, 2007).
There are several theories explaining how silent mutation happens in messenger RNA when codons also
serve as splicing enhancers for deoxyribonucleic acid. Studies have demonstrated that in MDR1, the
exon 26 gene that encodes 3535C can change to 3535T, changing the RNA that is rarely observed, which
causes alterations to be made upon translation's conclusion. The conclusion, however, is that sometimes
quiet mutations are not silent (Science, 2006).
The protein sequence is altered by non-synonymous mutations, which are frequently exposed to natural
selection. Silent mutations, however, are thought to be unaffected by the forces of evolution (Chu &
Wei, 2019). I personally believe that the MDR-1 mutation may not become non-synonymous based on
what I understand. As a result, we cannot entirely rule out this possibility because alterations may need
to occur via transcription, which could transform the mutation's nature to a non-synonymous one in the
end.
References:
Chu, D., & Wei, L. (2019). Nonsynonymous, synonymous and nonsense mutations in human cancer-
related genes undergo stronger purifying selections than expectation. BMC Cancer, 19(1).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-019-5572-x
Editors, B. D. (2018, June 20). Silent mutation: Definition, examples, quiz. Biology Dictionary. Retrieved
September 25, 2022, from https://biologydictionary.net/silent-mutation/
Mullard, A. (2007). Silent mutations turn up the volume. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 8(2),
98–98. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2102
Science. (2006, December 22.). The sound of a silent mutation. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from
https://www.science.org/content/article/sound-silent-mutation#:~:text=Silent%20mutations%20occur
%20when%20the,make%20up%20the%20gene's%20protein.