The mechanism of action of anthrax toxin lethal factor

Terms to be familiar with before you start to solve the test: signal transduction, anthrax, Bacillus anthracis, RasH protein, Western blotting, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK), SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteolytic cleavage, phosphorylation, ubiqitination, glycosylation, growth factor signaling, stress-activated protein kinases.Anthrax, an infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, is a life-threatening, often lethal disease.The main cause of death is anthrax toxin, a product of the bacterium consisting of several protein components.One of the components is a channel-forming protein that makes penetration of the membrane by the other polypeptides possible.A component of the toxin called lethal factor then kills the cell.The experiments described in this test deal with the effect of lethal factor on signal transduction processes.Descriptions of the experiments are presented in the figure legends.Study Figs.123, and solve the multiple-choice questions.FIVE-CHOICE COMPLETION Select the one best answer.1. ____ Explain the different behavior of anti-MEK(CT) and anti-MEK(NT) antibodies toward samples 2, 5, and 8.The lethal factor did which of the following?A. Caused complete degradation of MEK B. Cut MEK into several smaller fragments C. Cleaved off the N-terminal region of MEK D. Inhibited the initiation of MEK synthesis E. Inhibited the termination of MEK synthesis 2. ____ What changes of myelin basic protein can be studied under these conditions? A. Its phosphorylation B. Its dephosphorylation C. Its degradation D. Its ubiquitination E. Its glycosylation