Final answer:
The ability of Corynebacterium diphtheriae to produce the diphtheria toxin is due to lysogenic conversion, a process where a bacteriophage integrates its genetic material that includes toxin genes into the bacteria.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon responsible for the ability of Corynebacterium diphtheriae to produce the virulent toxin responsible for the devastating effects of diphtheria is called lysogenic conversion. During lysogenic conversion, a temperate bacteriophage integrates its genetic material into the bacterial chromosome, which can include genes encoding for toxins such as the diphtheria toxin. When these phage genes are expressed, the bacterial host can then produce these virulent factors, becoming more dangerous to its human host. The diphtheria toxin is an A-B toxin that inhibits protein synthesis by inactivating elongation factor (EF)-2, leading to the death of host cells and the classic symptoms associated with the disease. This process differs significantly from other cellular mechanisms such as self-assembly, matrix conversion, or prion protein formation.