Question

Many diseases are the result of a problem with cell signaling. Which of the following diseases best exemplifies this fact?

Select one:

a. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, which produces a toxin that modifies the alpha subunit of a G protein; this modification lowers G_alpha’s affinity for GTP and prevents its association with G-protein coupled receptors.

b. A type of breast cancer, which is caused by defects in the estrogen receptor that activates the protein.

c. Rare forms of anemia, which is caused by a decrease in the amount of receptor-mediated endocytosis of iron.

d. A severe form of fibromyalgia, which is caused by a defect in a sodium channel and results in chronic pain and a heightened response to pressure.

e. More than one of the other answer choices is correct.

Answer 1

In this case, we have two main diseases that exemplifies this statement. Both are pertussis and breast cancer. They have something in common, both are affecting the beginning of the cell signaling pathway at the level of the receptor. Pertussis affects the G protein which is highly important for the cell signaling mediated by G protein coupled receptors while breast cancer is over activating the signaling pathway of estrogen which will promote an increased cell proliferation, leading to a tumor. So, the correct answer is e. More than one of the other answer choices is correct.