Mutagenesis (molecular biology)

Mutagenesis in the laboratory is an important technique whereby DNA mutations are deliberately engineered to produce mutant genes, proteins, strains of bacteria, or other genetically modified organisms. Various constituents of a gene, such as its control elements and its gene product, may be mutated so that the functioning of a gene or protein can be examined in detail. The mutation may also produce mutant proteins with interesting properties, or enhanced or novel functions that may be of commercial use. Mutant strains may also be produced that have practical application or allow the molecular basis of particular cell function to be investigated.

Large number of methods for achieving mutagenesis have been developed. Initially, the kind of mutations artificially induced in laboratory were entirely random, later methods for more specific site-directed mutagenesis were introduced. Since 2013, development of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, based on a prokaryotic viral defense system, has also allowed for the editing or mutagenesis of the genome in vivo.

Early approaches to mutagenesis rely on methods which are entirely random in the mutations produced. Cells or organisms may be exposed to mutagens such as UV radiation or mutagenic chemicals, and mutants with desired characteristics are then selected. Hermann Muller discovered that x-rays can cause genetic mutations in fruit flies (published in 1927), and went on to use the Drosophila mutants created for his studies on genetics. For Escherichia coli, mutants may be selected first by exposure to UV radiation, then plated onto agar medium. The colonies formed are then replica-plated, one in rich medium, another in minimal medium, and mutants that have specific nutritional requirements can then be identified by their inability to grow in minimal medium. Similar procedures may be repeated with other types of cells and with different media for selection.

A number of methods for generating random mutations in specific proteins were later developed to screen for mutants with interesting or improved properties. These methods may involve the use of doped nucleotides in oligonucleotides synthesis, or conducting a PCR reaction in conditions that enhance misincorporation of nucleotides (error-prone PCR), for example by reducing the fidelity of replication or using nucleotide analogues. A variation of this method for integrating non-biased mutations in a gene is the Sequence Saturation Mutagenesis. PCR products which contain mutation(s) are then cloned into an expression vector and the mutant proteins produced can then be characterised.

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