Indel

Indel is a term used in genomics and genetics to refer to an insertion or deletion of bases in the genome of an organism. It is a type of mutation that leads to the alteration of the genetic material of an organism. The term "indel" is a portmanteau of "insertion" and "deletion".

Overview

Indels can range in size from one base pair to thousands of base pairs. They can occur in both coding and non-coding regions of the DNA. In coding regions, unless the indel is a multiple of three, it will lead to a frameshift mutation, which can result in a completely different amino acid sequence from the original. This can have severe effects on the resulting protein and can lead to diseases such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease.

Causes

Indels can be caused by a variety of mechanisms, including replication slippage, transposable elements, and double-strand break repair. Replication slippage occurs when the DNA polymerase slips during replication, leading to the addition or deletion of bases. Transposable elements can insert themselves into the DNA, causing an insertion. Double-strand break repair can lead to indels when the DNA is not perfectly repaired.

Detection

Indels can be detected using a variety of methods, including DNA sequencing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). DNA sequencing is the most accurate method, but it is also the most expensive and time-consuming. PCR and CGH are quicker and cheaper, but they are not as accurate.

Impact on Evolution

Indels have a significant impact on evolution. They can lead to the creation of new genes or the loss of existing ones. They can also cause changes in gene expression, which can lead to changes in phenotype. This can lead to the evolution of new species.

See Also

• Mutation
• Genomics
• Genetics
• DNA sequencing
• Polymerase chain reaction
• Comparative genomic hybridization