Question

Suppose you used allozymes to estimate allele and genotype frequencies in a natural population as we discussed in class. Now suppose there were a number of silent mutations occurring. Can these be detected using allozymes? What influence would the presence of silent mutations have on your estimates of allele and genotype frequencies from allozyme data?

Answer 1

Allozymes are the variant form of enzymes which are structurally different but there function will remain similar in comparison to other enzymes coded by two different alleles present at same locus. These enzymes perform the single type of function in their life cycle and significant change of evolution brings the change in enzyme helps in determination of evolutionary history. In other words we can say that these enzymes can be used correlate evolutionary history of organisms.  

In case of Silent mutation the change in nucleotide will not bring the change in protein function. These changes may be in the non-coding region of nucleotide. Hence the amino sequence does not change and no change can be observed in phenotypic expression.  

Silent mutation occurring in population can be estimated with the help of allozymes because as per above discussion we had found that the both the terms are defining the almost similar meaning. Allozyme helps in estimation of allele and genotype frequencies in natural population because they are linked with different allele present at same locus. If there will silent mutation, then it will change the nucleotide sequence which will bring the change in structure but the basic function will be similar.

There will be no impact of silent mutation on estimates of allele and genotype frequencies from allozyme data because most of silent mutation generally occurs at non-coding regions.