34delspotens

34delspotens is a term used in speculative genetics to denote a class of 34-base-pair deletions in the Spotens gene family, a hypothetical cluster of regulatory genes. The term is not reported in real-world genomes; it serves as a didactic model for studying how small deletions can affect gene function and phenotype.

A typical 34delspotens event is a precise 34-bp loss within a conserved region of Spotens. In coding regions this deletion is not a multiple of three, so it generally causes a frameshift and possibly a premature stop, whereas deletions in noncoding or intronic regions may alter regulatory motifs or splicing.

Mechanisms proposed in speculative work include replication slippage in repetitive sequences and unequal crossing over during meiosis, especially in genomes with short tandem repeats near Spotens.

Detection and interpretation: Identified in silico in simulated genomes; in real analyses, aligners may flag as insertions/deletions; validation via PCR and Sanger sequencing is recommended. Population-level analyses in simulations show varying frequencies; in some datasets, 34delspotens disrupts a critical interaction domain, altering predicted protein interactions.

Significance and research status: Used primarily as a teaching example or in science-fiction world-building; there is no empirical evidence for 34delspotens in living species.

See also: genetic deletion, structural variation, frameshift mutation.