What type of mutation changes an amino acid codon to one of the three stop codons?

A mutation that changes an amino acid codon to one of the three stop codons is referred to as a nonsense mutation. This type of mutation results in the premature termination of protein synthesis, producing a truncated protein that is often nonfunctional. When a codon that normally specifies an amino acid is altered to one of the stop codons—UAA, UAG, or UGA—the ribosome halts translation, and the synthesis of the protein is stopped before it reaches its full length. This can significantly affect the function and stability of a protein, leading to a range of potential consequences within the organism.

In contrast, a missense mutation changes one amino acid in a protein sequence to another, potentially altering the function of the protein but not leading to a premature stop. A silent mutation does not change the amino acid sequence at all, as it typically involves a change in the DNA sequence that does not affect the resulting protein due to the redundancy in the genetic code. An insertion mutation alters the reading frame of the genetic sequence by adding one or more nucleotides, which can lead to a very different protein outcome but does not specifically define the change to a stop codon.

Overall, the transformation of a regular codon into a stop codon