gene mutation

noun

plural gene mutations

: a permanent alteration (as by point mutation or frameshift mutation) in the nucleotide sequence of a gene

Researchers have identified a gene mutation that's believed to predispose people to malignant melanoma, the deadliest and most aggressive type of skin cancer.

—Health News

compare point mutation

Examples of gene mutation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: Caused by gene mutations, this is a rare condition that develops when fatty or scarred tissue replaces normal tissue in part of the heart, leading to irregular heartbeat. —Elizabeth Millard, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024

Some of the genetic samples from the patient contained gene mutations that might help H5N1 infect people more easily. —Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025

Scientists developed drugs called PARP inhibitors that treat cancers stemming from the BRCA gene mutations such as breast and ovarian cancer. —David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024

Tree shrews have a gene mutation that bolsters their tolerance towards spicy foods, an adaptation that gives them a distinct advantage to consuming plants in their habitat, according to Luqman Javed, an in-house veterinarian for PangoVet. —Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

gene mutation

noun

: mutation due to a chemical change in a gene

Medical Definition

gene mutation

noun

: a permanent alteration (as a point mutation or frameshift mutation) in the nucleotide sequence of a gene

… there is a 50 percent chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease.

—Fred Cicetti

In early August the team published a study in Nature that chronicled how a single gene mutation in a laboratory strain of Escherichia coli could create a bacterium resistant to triclosan …

—Gary Stix