Question

Nitrous acid induces mutations primarily through which mechanism?

Options

• Alkylation of purines and transitions

• Hydroxylation of cytosine

• Intercalation between base pairs causing frameshifts

• Deamination and strand crossing over

Answer 1

Nitrous acid is a chemical mutagen that acts by deamination, removing amino groups from nitrogenous bases. This alters base-pairing properties and can also cause strand crossing over, leading to mutations.