INTRODUCTION:

Mutagenesis is the formation of mutations in DNA molecules.

In this process the genetic information of an organism is changed by the production of a mutation. A mutation is a change in the nucleic acid sequence that can be replicated; hence, a mutation can be inherited from one generation to the next.

There are a variety of mutations that can occur in DNA, such as changes in the DNA sequence or rearrangement of the chromosomes. It may occur spontaneously in nature (as a result of ‘mistakes’ that occur during DNA replication or mitosis), or as a result of exposure to mutagens. It can also be achieved experimentally using laboratory procedures.

A mutagen is a mutation-causing agent, be it chemical or physical, which results in an increased rate of mutations in an organism's genetic code.

Mutagenesis is of concern because it may lead to irreversible effects that can affect fitness of organisms, which in turn may affect population-level processes.

Laboratory applications of mutagenesis:

In the laboratory, mutagenesis is a technique by which DNA mutations are deliberately engineered to produce mutant genes, proteins, or strains of organisms. 

The mutation may also produce mutant proteins with altered properties, or enhanced or novel functions that may prove to be of use commercially.

In vitro mutagenesis is a very powerful tool for studying protein structure-function relationships, altering protein activity, and for modifying vector sequences to incorporate affinity tags and correct frame shift errors. A variety of mutagenesis techniques have been developed over the past decade that allow researchers to generate point mutations, modify (insert, delete or replace) one or more codons, swap domains between related gene sequences, and create diverse collections of mutant clones.

Mutagenesis strategies can be divided into two main types, random or site-directed.

Early methods of mutagenesis produced entirely random mutations. However, modern methods of mutagenesis are capable of producing site-specific mutations. Some of them are as follows:

• Directed mutagenesis
• Site-directed mutagenesis/ PCR mutagenesis
• Insertional mutagenesis
• Signature tagged mutagenesis
• Transposon mutagenesis
• Sequence saturation mutagenesis

Mutagenesis in the field of Food and Agriculture:

Genetic change (mutation) has provided the natural variation (building blocks) for species evolution. Changes in species have not only been important for adaptation to the natural environment, they have also been exploited by man in the agricultural processes of species domestication and crop improvement.

Mutagenesis has been extensively used for the improvement of microorganisms of agricultural and industrial importance. Induced mutagenesis has been carried out to create starter strains with enhanced fermentation activity for enzyme and metabolite production or with resistance to viruses Site-specific mutagenesis allows targeted substitution, insertion or deletion of a single or a few base pairs and has been applied to optimize properties such as increased thermo-stability of the enzyme of interest.

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Regards,                                                                         

Alina Grace,

Associate Managing Editor,

Journal of Plant Biology and Agriculture Science