What is the result of a nonsense mutation?

A nonsense mutation leads to the formation of an early stop codon in the mRNA sequence. This occurs when a nucleotide change results in a codon that signals the termination of protein synthesis prematurely. As a result, the production of the protein is halted before the full-length, functional protein can be produced. Consequently, this leads to truncated proteins, which are often nonfunctional due to the lack of necessary domains for activity.

This mechanism is clearly detrimental to protein function and can have significant implications for cellular processes and overall organism health, particularly if the affected protein plays a crucial role in biological functions. The early stop codon is the defining characteristic of a nonsense mutation and distinguishes it from other types of mutations that may alter protein function without causing early termination of translation.