If a protein is slightly misfolded, it could be because of

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Question focus: reasons a protein might be slightly misfolded.
Option 1: a mutation causing a change to an amino acid. This is a classic route to misfolding. A missense mutation substitutes one amino acid for another, potentially altering side-chain properties (size, charge, hydrophobicity) and disrupting local interactions, which can bias the folding pathway or the final structure slightly.
Option 2: the mRNA was accidentally read backwards by the ribosome. In reality, the ribosome reads mRNA in the correct 5' to 3' direction with codons read in triplets; an instance of reading mRNA backwards would be a fundamental translational error that would produce a drastically incorrect protein, not a modest misfolding. This option describes an implausible mechanism for subtle misfolding.
Option 3: a deletion mutation causing one nucleotide to be lost. A single-nucleotide deletion typically causes a frameshift, which usually yields a severely altered amino acid sequence downstream and a markedly misfolded, nonfunctional protein, not a mild misfold. While in some rare cases a frameshift near the end might have milder effects, the general expectation for a deletion is substantial disruption rather than a slight misfold.
Option 4: processing occurring in the cytoplasm instead of the endoplasmic reticulum. The cellular compartment where folding occurs matters (e.g., secreted or membrane proteins often rely on ER folding). Misfolding due to mislocalization is possible in specific contexts, but for a general slight misfold, this scenario is less directly explanatory than a direct amino acid change. It describes an environmental factor rather than a primary sequence alteration that commonly leads to subtle misfolding.
In summary, the most straightforward genetic basis for a protein being slightly misfolded is a missense mutation that changes an amino acid and subtly perturbs folding, while the other options either describe implausible translational errors, drastic disruptions, or context-specific folding issues that are less likely to produce only slight misfolding.

AGRI10050_2025_SM1 W2 Progress Quiz - Molecular building blocks

If a protein is slightly misfolded, it could be because of

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