FCGMOs Mutations Basics

Robert Vavala Author

03/27/2018 Added

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Basic information about genetic mutations

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[00:00:00.200]If you can visualize living things
[00:00:03.218]at the DNA level,
[00:00:05.780]then you can think about the comparison
[00:00:09.680]of genetic modifications, understand what they are,
[00:00:13.797]and how mutations and transgenes are different.
[00:00:16.900]So, let's think about mutations.
[00:00:19.370]The key concept here I've written out uses a term
[00:00:22.240]that is a different kind of word, alleles.
[00:00:26.320]Alleles mean new versions of genes, okay.
[00:00:28.690]So let's start with gene.
[00:00:30.210]A gene is a sequence of DNA subunits that is ordered
[00:00:37.530]in a specific way so that it can instruct a cell
[00:00:42.020]how to encode a protein.
[00:00:43.960]Proteins are made of a long chain of amino acids.
[00:00:47.880]The DNA code tells the cell how to place these amino acids
[00:00:52.570]in just the right order.
[00:00:53.837]And the order in which those amino acids are placed
[00:00:56.810]determine the shape or the structure of the protein
[00:01:01.140]and that determines the function of that protein
[00:01:05.330]and what traits those proteins will control
[00:01:08.477]for the living things.
[00:01:10.190]Genes encode proteins and then proteins control traits.
[00:01:14.630]Genes, made of DNA, are very stable
[00:01:19.690]and DNA can be faithfully copied, replicated,
[00:01:23.970]as new cells are made.
[00:01:25.840]DNA has that highly functional information coding role
[00:01:31.550]for living things.
[00:01:32.990]But, DNA can change on occasion.
[00:01:36.790]So, let's say we have a gene in a pig that's part
[00:01:40.310]of a pig chromosome and it encodes a protein that
[00:01:42.610]influences some trait in the pig, such as maybe that they're
[00:01:47.700]gonna be a lighter colored pig.
[00:01:50.320]What can happen is a change can occur in the sequence
[00:01:55.900]of the DNA molecule that makes up that gene.
[00:02:00.360]And that mutation can result in the alteration of a protein.
[00:02:04.300]Now, that altered protein may function a little bit
[00:02:07.530]differently and that could have a subtle effect,
[00:02:09.440]maybe it has a little bit effect on the occurrence
[00:02:12.790]of pigment in the pig's skin or maybe it's a more
[00:02:16.240]dramatic effect.
[00:02:17.730]It'll influence the growth rate of the pig.
[00:02:21.750]So, mutations will occur, and as a result,
[00:02:26.410]there can be genetically controlled variation
[00:02:30.290]in the characteristics of that organism.
[00:02:33.340]Mutations are genetic modifications in the
[00:02:36.540]genes of living things and mutations happen.
[00:02:39.300]Sometimes they're induced by chemicals or by radiation
[00:02:43.700]from the sun, for example.
[00:02:45.650]But, mutations can also just occur spontaneously,
[00:02:49.080]so mutations are a part of any living thing.
[00:02:54.570]Living things with mutations then, can have genetic
[00:02:57.560]changes occur, but they are not GMOs.
[00:03:01.360]These mutations will create new gene versions, alleles,
[00:03:05.110]but this is not what scientists refer to,
[00:03:08.840]or policymakers refer to, as GMOs.
[00:03:12.200]That's another kind of genetic change.
[00:03:15.420]Let's talk a little bit more about mutations,
[00:03:17.640]because they're so important.
[00:03:19.227]Remember, chromosomes are very long DNA molecules
[00:03:23.960]that could contain dozens or hundreds
[00:03:26.710]or even thousands of genes.
[00:03:28.070]And if we took all the chromosomes that make up the
[00:03:30.690]living cells of any species, that's the genome.
[00:03:34.620]The genome would contain all the genes in the chromosome,
[00:03:38.115]and organisms like pigs have between
[00:03:41.250]20 and 30,000 different genes.
[00:03:44.240]So when mutations occur, they tend to occur at random.
[00:03:49.100]It's not predictable which gene will be subjected
[00:03:53.470]to a genetic change and how the mutation will change
[00:03:58.420]the way that gene codes for a particular protein.
[00:04:02.631]The random nature of mutation means that if mutations
[00:04:06.820]provide important genetic variability, that a plant breeder
[00:04:10.468]or an animal breeder is interested in,
[00:04:16.056]the plant breeder or animal breeder will have
[00:04:18.800]to play the law of averages.
[00:04:21.030]They will have to look through many different individuals
[00:04:25.170]in order to find individuals that might have
[00:04:27.640]the mutation that has just the desired effect.
[00:04:31.180]That's definitely true with animals and it's true
[00:04:33.825]with plants, as well.
[00:04:35.880]Plants have about 30,000 different genes, and again,
[00:04:39.090]when a mutation occurs, it could alter a protein
[00:04:43.670]and maybe that that protein is involved in how the plant
[00:04:47.480]reacts to a growth regulating chemical or a herbicide,
[00:04:51.540]or it may be that protein is involved in controlling
[00:04:54.760]seed development and what kind of oils develop.
[00:04:57.500]So if a mutation occurs in that gene, and it alters
[00:05:01.130]a protein that has that particular job, it may be that
[00:05:05.340]that alteration is not beneficial, it'll compromise
[00:05:10.172]the way the organism grows and develops.
[00:05:14.810]It's also possible that that mutation will have
[00:05:17.810]a desirable effect.
[00:05:19.310]In the case of growing plants and using the herbicide
[00:05:22.600]to control weeds that compete with the plants,
[00:05:25.060]you might be able to find a mutation that creates
[00:05:27.520]a resistant version of that plant.
[00:05:30.090]Or, if it comes to genes that control how the seed
[00:05:32.957]develops, you might be able to find a individual
[00:05:36.550]that has a mutation in a seed development gene
[00:05:38.965]and that plant produces a higher concentration
[00:05:43.830]of healthy oils in the seed.
[00:05:45.660]So, mutations occur.
[00:05:48.170]Sometimes they're desirable, oftentimes they're undesirable,
[00:05:52.566]but they're a very important part of both plant breeding
[00:05:58.790]and animal breeding to develop the domesticated plants
[00:06:01.990]and animals that we grow
[00:06:05.350]to supply our food and fuel and fiber.
[00:06:08.150]And mutations are also very important for all living things
[00:06:12.510]on the planet, because the planet is a constantly
[00:06:15.120]changing environment and genetic variation ensures that
[00:06:19.160]a species has the opportunity to respond to
[00:06:22.690]and adapt to that genetic change.
[00:06:25.270]So, mutations, very important in biology,
[00:06:28.440]very important in agriculture, but mutations are not
[00:06:33.710]the genetic change that we call GMOs.
[00:06:36.600]So we need to learn about another kind of genetic
[00:06:39.650]modification, transgenes.
[00:06:41.670]We'll learn about that next.

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FCGMOs Mutations Basics

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