Deamination of bases is a common chemical event that produces spontaneous mutation. Which one of the following bases will be formed by the deamination of 5-methylcytosine?
Uracil
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
Deamination of 5-methylcytosine typically results in the formation of thymine.
5-methylcytosine is a modified form of cytosine, with a methyl group attached to the 5th carbon. During deamination, the amino group (-NH2) of cytosine or its modified forms can be converted to a keto group (-O) through the removal of the amino group. This chemical reaction leads to the formation of thymine. Hence, the correct answer is option 2.