hypermutationn.
/ˌhʌɪpəmjuːˈteɪʃn/, U.S. /ˈˌhaɪpərˌmjuˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ Genetics.
1. A mutation resulting in a major phenotypic change. rare. disused.
ΚΠ
1934 W. H. Manwaring in Science 25 May 468/2 Similar hyper-mutations are known to occur during the course of natural clinical infections.
2. Mutation occurring at a high rate; frequent mutation; a form resulting from such mutation.
ΚΠ
1966 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 166 133 Multiple structural differences could arise from a variety of mechanisms, for example, an accumulation of point mutations, hypermutation, somatic chromosomal rearrangements, [etc.].
1977 Science 29 July 450/2 [This] would in turn lead to a hypermutation-induced expansion of the antibody repertoire.
1996 Economist 16 Nov. 140/2 Work on captive laboratory bacteria has generally found that hypermutation is rare, as the conventional wisdom would suggest.
2003 Blood 101 4047 The base pair substitutions within the rearranged V(H) genes represent hypermutations.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1934