Okay, so I need to figure out which mutation will eliminate the anti-nutritional compound in the barley cultivar. Let's start by understanding the problem.

The question says that the barley has an anti-nutritional compound because of a gene with five exons and four introns. They used EMS mutagenesis to produce mutants and checked the first exon area. The original gene is provided, and each mutant has a change in the first exon. The goal is to find which mutation would eliminate the anti-nutritional compound. That probably means the mutation disrupts the gene responsible for making the compound, so the gene isn't expressed anymore.

First, I need to figure out where the mutations are in the gene. Let's look at each mutant. The original gene starts with ATGTTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT…TGA-3’. So the first exon is the first part of the gene. Let's break down the original gene into exons. The original gene has five exons, so maybe the first exon is the first part up to the first intron.

Wait, but the question says the gene has five exons and four introns. So the exons are in order: Exon 1, Intron 1, Exon 2, Intron 2, Exon 3, Intron 3, Exon 4, Intron 4, Exon 5. But the first exon is the start, so the first part of the gene is Exon 1. So the mutations in the first exon would be in Exon 1.

Looking at the sequences:

Original: 5’-ATGTTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT…TGA-3’

Mutant 1: ATGTTCTACGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGC…TGA-3’
Mutant 2: ATGTTCTAAGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGC…TGA-3’
Mutant 3: ATGTTTTACGCTGGTGTCACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT…TGA-3’
Mutant 4: ATGTTTTACGCTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT…TGA-3’

So the original starts with ATGTTTCTC... Let's check each mutant's first part.

For Mutant 1: ATGTTCTACG... So original is ATGTTTCTC... Here, after the first ATG, the next bases change. Let's compare:

Original: ATG TTT CTC GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...
Mutant 1: ATG TTC TAC GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...
Wait, so the first part after ATG is TTT in original, and TTC in Mutant 1. Then in the original, the next part is TACGCT... So in Mutant 1, after TTC, it's TAC. Let's see:

Original: T T T C T C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...
Mutant 1: T T C T A C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...

Wait, that might be a bit confusing. Let me line them up:

Original: ATG T T T C T C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...
Mutant 1: ATG T T C T A C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...

So the difference is at position 5 after ATG. Original is TTT, Mutant 1 is TTC. Then in the original, next is TACG..., Mutant 1 is TACG... Wait, no. Let's see:

Original: After ATG, positions 1-5: T T T C T (positions 1-5)
Mutant 1: After ATG, positions 1-5: T T C T A (positions 1-5)

So the 4th position (fourth base after ATG) in original is T, in Mutant 1 it's C. Then the fifth position in original is C, Mutant 1 is A. So the fourth and fifth bases of the first exon (after ATG) are changed. So the original first exon after ATG is TTTCTC... Mutant 1 changes the fourth base to C and the fifth to A, making T T C T A. Wait, that's TTC TAC? Wait, maybe I'm getting confused.

Alternatively, perhaps the original first exon is ATG followed by TTTCTCGCT... So the first exon is ATG followed by TTTC... ? Let's see, the original gene starts with 5' ATGTTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT… So after ATG, the bases are T T T C T C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...

So the first exon is from ATG and the next bases up to the first intron. Wait, but the exons are separated by introns. So the first exon is the first part before the first intron. But the question says the gene has five exons and four introns. So the structure is Exon1 - Intron1 - Exon2 - Intron2 - Exon3 - Intron3 - Exon4 - Intron4 - Exon5.

Therefore, the first exon is the first segment, then intron1, then exon2, etc. So the first exon in the original gene is from position 1 to the end of the first intron. So if we can figure out where the introns are, we can see which part is in the first exon.

But since the question doesn't specify the intron positions, perhaps the key is that the first exon is the first part, and the mutations in the first exon are in the coding sequence. So if a mutation occurs in the first exon, it might affect the production of the anti-nutritional compound if that exon is part of the gene responsible for producing it.

Wait, but the question states that the gene responsible for the anti-nutritional compound is the one with five exons and four introns. So the gene's structure is Exon1, Intron1, Exon2, etc. So the first exon is the start, and if a mutation occurs in the first exon, it could affect the gene's product. If the gene's product is the anti-nutritional compound, then disrupting the gene would eliminate the compound.

But the problem is that the mutations are in the first exon. So the question is, which of these mutations would disrupt the gene's function. That would happen if the mutation is in a critical part of the gene, like a start codon, a crucial exon, or a regulatory region.

Looking at the original gene, the first part is ATG, which is the start codon (ATG). So the first exon must include the start codon. Therefore, any mutation in the first exon that affects the reading frame or disrupts the start codon could be problematic. However, the original gene starts with ATG, so the first exon includes the start codon. Therefore, if a mutation occurs in the first exon but not in the start codon, it might still be in the coding sequence.

Let's look at each mutant and their changes in the first exon.

Original first exon (after ATG): TTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

Mutant 1: ATG TTC TACGCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...
Original: ATG TTTCTC GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

So comparing the first part after ATG:

Original: TTTCTC GCT GGT ACT...
Mutant 1: TTC TAC GCT GGT ACT...

So the mutation changes the first few bases after ATG. Let's check if the start codon is affected. The original start is ATG. The next bases are TTTCTC..., so the first exon's sequence is ATG followed by TTTCTC... Therefore, the start codon is intact. So Mutant 1 has a change in the first exon but not in the start codon. So if the gene's product is the anti-nutritional compound, Mutant 1's change might cause a frameshift or disrupt the reading frame, leading to a non-functional protein. But if the mutation is not in the coding sequence, like in the first exon but after the start codon, maybe it's in a regulatory region. However, since the first exon is the start, the mutation might be in the coding region.

Wait, but the question is about eliminating the anti-nutritional compound. So if the gene responsible for producing it is mutated, the product would be eliminated. Therefore, the mutation needs to disrupt the gene's function. If the gene's product is the compound itself, then mutating the gene would stop its production. But if the gene's product is something else, then it's not directly related. Wait, the question says the gene is responsible for the anti-nutritional compound. So the gene's product is the compound. Therefore, mutating the gene would eliminate the compound. So the mutations need to disrupt the gene's function. Therefore, the mutation should cause a frameshift or premature stop codon in the gene, leading to a truncated, non-functional protein.

Looking at the sequences, each mutant has a change in the first exon. Let's check if any of these mutations introduce a premature stop codon.

The original gene's sequence after ATG is TTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

Mutant 1: TTC TAC GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

Mutant 2: TTC TAA GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

Wait, let's break down the sequences:

Original: ATG T T T C T C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...
Mutant 1: ATG T T C T A C G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...
Mutant 2: ATG T T C T A G C T G G T A C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...
Mutant 3: ATG T T T A C G C T G G T G C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...
Mutant 4: ATG T T T A C G C T G T G C T T C T G T G G A T G A A...

Wait, maybe I should look for triplets that form stop codons. The original gene's sequence after ATG is TTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

Looking for potential stop codons. The original might have a start codon followed by a coding sequence. Let's check if any of the mutations introduce a stop codon.

For example, in Mutant 1, after TTC, the next triplet is TAC. So TTC TAC GCT... So the first three bases after TTC would be TAC, which is a stop codon (TAA is a stop, TAC is also a stop? Wait, no. Wait, TAA, TAG are stop codons. TAC is not a stop codon. So if the mutation changes a codon to TAC, that's not a stop. But if it changes to TAA, that's a stop.

Looking at Mutant 2: After TTC, the next bases are TAA. So the triplet would be TAA, which is a stop codon. So Mutant 2 has a change that introduces a stop codon. That would cause a premature stop, leading to a truncated protein, which would likely eliminate the anti-nutritional compound.

Wait, let me check each mutant:

Original: After ATG, the sequence is TTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

Mutant 1: TTC TAC GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

So the first triplet after ATG is TTC, then TAC. Neither is a stop codon. Original has TTT, which is not a stop. So no stop introduced here.

Mutant 2: TTC TAA GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

Here, after TTC, the next triplet is TAA, which is a stop codon. So this would cause a frameshift at this point, leading to a premature stop. Therefore, the protein would be truncated, and the gene product (the anti-nutritional compound) would not be produced. So Mutant 2 might be the answer.

Mutant 3: After ATG, the sequence is TTC TTTACGCT... Wait, the original after ATG is TTTCTC... Mutant 3 changes that to TTC TTTAC... Wait, let's see:

Original: ATG TTTCTC GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...
Mutant 3: ATG TTTTAC GCT GGT GTCACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

Wait, the change is from TTTCTC to TTC TAC. Wait, no, let's parse it correctly.

Original: ATGTTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...
Mutant 3: ATGTTTTACGCTGGTGTCACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

So after ATG, original is TTTCTC GCT GGT... Mutant 3 is TTTTAC GCT GGT...

So the first part after ATG is TTTCTC vs TTTTAC. Wait, that would mean the first few bases are TTTTAC instead of TTTCTC. Let's check the triplets.

Original: TTTCTC GCT GGT ACT...
Mutant 3: TTTTAC GCT GGT GTCA...

Wait, so the original has TTTCTC, which is bases 2-7 (since ATG is 1-3). Mutant 3 changes the sequence after ATG to TTTTAC. So the first few bases are TTTTAC. Let's break into triplets:

Original: TTT CT C GCT GGT ACT...
Mutant 3: TTT TAC GCT GGT GTCA...

So the triplet TAC is introduced here. TAC is not a stop codon (TAC is a methionine codon, right? Wait, no. Wait, TAC is actually a codon that codes for Tyrosine (Tyr). Wait, no, let me check the codon table. The codon table is as follows:

TAA - Stop
TGA - Stop
TAG - Stop
TAC - Tyrosine (Tyr)
TAT - Tyrosine (Tyr)
TCA - Tyrosine (Tyr)
TCG - Arginine (Arg)
TCT - Leucine (Leu)
TCC - Serine (Ser)
TGG - Trp
TTT - Phe
TTA - Lys
TTG - Trp
TCT - Leu
and so on.

So TAC is Tyrosine. So Mutant 3 introduces a TAC codon, which codes for Tyr. That's not a stop. So the gene would still be produced, but with a different amino acid, but the protein may still function. So Mutant 3 might not eliminate the compound.

Mutant 4: ATGTTTTACGCTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

Original after ATG is TTTCTC... Mutant 4 is TTTTACGCTACT...

So the first part after ATG is TTTTACGCT... Let's break into triplets:

Original: TTT CT C GCT GGT ACT...
Mutant 4: TTT TAC GCT ACT TCT...

Wait, so after ATG, the original is TTTCTC GCT GGT ACT... Mutant 4 is TTTTAC GCT ACT TCT...

So the first triplet after ATG in Mutant 4 is TTT, then TAC. Wait, no. Let's parse it correctly.

Original: ATG TTT CT C GCT GGT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...
Mutant 4: ATG TTT TAC GCT ACT TCT GTG GAT GAA...

So the original has TTTCTC, Mutant 4 has TTTTAC. So the first part after ATG is TTTTAC. Breaking into triplets:

Original: TTT CT C GCT...
Mutant 4: TTT TAC GCT...

So the triplet TAC is introduced here. Again, TAC is a codon for Tyr, not a stop. Therefore, the gene would still be produced, but with a different amino acid. So Mutant 4 might not eliminate the compound.

Mutant 1: TTC TAC GCT GGT ACT...

So the triplet after TTC is TAC. As we discussed, TAC is not a stop. So Mutant 1 would not introduce a stop codon. Therefore, the gene would still produce a functional protein, but with a changed amino acid. So the anti-nutritional compound might still be produced.

Mutant 2: TTC TAA GCT GGT ACT...

Here, after TTC, the triplet is TAA, which is a stop codon. Therefore, Mutant 2 introduces a premature stop codon, leading to a truncated protein. If the gene's product is the anti-nutritional compound, then the truncated protein would not be functional, so the compound would be eliminated. Therefore, Mutant 2 would be the correct answer.

Wait, but the original gene's sequence after ATG: TTTCTCGCTGGTACTTCTGTGGATGAACATATTTATTGTCGT...

Let me check if the original has any stop codons. The original starts with ATG, then TTTCTC... The triplet after ATG is TTT, which is Phe. Then TCT, which is Leu, etc. So the original gene's product is functional. If Mutant 2 introduces a stop codon, then the gene would be truncated, leading to a non-functional protein, thus eliminating the compound.

Therefore, the correct answer should be Mutant 2, which is option B.
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