1. A mutation in which nucleotides are inserted into or deleted from a DNA sequence, causing a shift in the reading frame and altering all downstream codons.
Usage: genetics; molecular biology; plural form of frameshift

1. To undergo or cause a frameshift mutation in a DNA sequence.
Usage: genetics; third-person singular present or plural present tense

Examples

• Frameshifts in the CFTR gene can lead to cystic fibrosis.
• The insertion of a single nucleotide frameshifts the entire reading frame downstream.
• Researchers identified multiple frameshifts in the tumor suppressor gene.
• When the DNA sequence frameshifts, the resulting protein is usually nonfunctional.
• Frameshifts caused by repetitive sequences are common in certain genomic regions.
• The deletion frameshifts all subsequent codons, producing a truncated protein.