What type of mutation results from a single nucleotide change that leads to a different amino acid?

A missense mutation occurs when a single nucleotide change in the DNA sequence results in the substitution of one amino acid for another in the protein that is produced. This type of mutation can alter the protein's function, depending on the role of the replaced amino acid in the protein structure or activity.

In this process, the altered DNA sequence is transcribed into mRNA, where the codon containing the mutated nucleotide now codes for a different amino acid during translation. This change can lead to variations in the protein’s properties, potentially affecting its stability, activity, or interaction with other molecules.

Other types of mutations differ in their effects. For instance, a silent mutation would not change the amino acid sequence of a protein despite a change in the DNA sequence, and a nonsense mutation creates a premature stop codon, which can truncate the protein and lead to loss of function. A frameshift mutation results from insertions or deletions of nucleotides not in multiples of three, shifting the reading frame and altering the entire downstream amino acid sequence. Each of these types of mutations has distinct biological implications, but the missense mutation specifically emphasizes the effect of changing one amino acid due to a single nucleotide alteration.