Question

Botulism is a potentially fatal foodborne disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum produces different toxins, several of which are proteases that cleave neuronal SNARE proteins. What normal process is blocked by cleavage and inhibition of SNARE proteins?
a) docking of vesicles to target membranes entry of proteins with ER
b) signal sequences into the ER
c) lumen fusion of vesicles with target membranes
d) budding of vesicles from the endoplasmic reticulum

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is option C (lumen fusion of vesicles with target membranes)

Explanation:

C. botulinum can be used medically to temporarily relieve muscle function and can produce toxins that can cleave neuronal SNARE proteins. Lumen fusion of vesicles with target membranes is a process that can be blocked by cleavage and inhibition of SNARE proteins.

SNARE proteins are vesicle fusion and they play a major role in the survival of a cell. If SNARE proteins are hindered, lumen fusion of vesicles with target membranes which involves merging of a vesicle with other vesicles would be blocked because membrane fusion is largely dependent on SNARE proteins.