MRNA: AUG AAU UUA GCG ACA polypeptides: Met or start, Aan, Leu, Ala, Thr 1. The type of mutation that occurred in this strand of DNA is deletion. This may have happened because a small part of the DNA sequence was lost when broken ends were rejoined when the DNA was being repaired. 2. It is not likely that these mutated genes could produce a working protein because the polypeptides were completely changed, which would cause the protein to not work properly. 3. When a seed first absorbs water, it begins to grow. The mutation could cause the plant to be unable to absorb water. Therefore, the plant would be unable to germinate.