Question

Through a search of the genetic databases it is found that a protein expressed by a microbial pathogen resembles a host protein. what is this resemblance most likely to indicate?

a. the microbial protein binds to the similar host protein.
b. the microbial protein mimics the host protein's function.
c. the microbial protein is not a virulence factor.
d. the microbial protein is in the same location as the host's protein.

Answer 1

The resemblance between a microbial pathogen's protein and the host protein likely suggests that the pathogen's protein mimics the host's protein function to evade the immune system or interact with the host.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a protein expressed by a microbial pathogen resembles a host protein, this resemblance most likely indicates that the microbial protein mimics the host protein's function. This mimicry can be a way for the pathogen to evade the host's immune system or to interact directly with host cellular processes, contributing to virulence. For example, the process of antigenic variation allows pathogens to change their surface proteins to evade immune detection, while target mimicry is another mechanism by which pathogens can interfere with the effectiveness of drugs, such as the MfpA protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that prevents fluoroquinolones from binding to their target.