frame shift

Introduction

In genetics: A mutation resulting in a change in mRNA sequence that disrupts an open reading frame of a gene. Thus the codons of transcribed become sequentially altered due to mRNA base sequence out of register. For example, insertion or deletion of 1 or 2 bases in a gene exon would lead to alteration of the sequences of the individual codons & thus cause incorrect amino acid residues to be inserted into nascent polypeptide chains, or signal premature chain termination.

More general terms

• mutation