Which of the Following Types of P53 Mutations Would Be

Question

Which of the following types of p53 mutations would be MOST beneficial to a tumor cell?
A)Splice site change.
B)Premature stop codon.
C)Silent mutation.
D)Frameshift.
E)Missense mutation.

Accepted Answer

A missense mutation alters one amino acid in the p53 protein, which may affect its function but not necessarily completely eliminate it. This can lead to the production of a mutant protein with a gain-of-function activity that promotes cell proliferation and survival, while retaining some of the wild-type p53 tumor suppressor activity. This is known as a dominant-negative effect and is thought to be important in the development and progression of many tumors. Thus, a missense mutation would be most beneficial to a tumor cell.