Is It a Good Strategy for a Microbe to Adhere

question 23

Multiple Choice

Is it a good strategy for a microbe to adhere to a receptor that plays a critical function for a host cell?

• A) No, it ISN'T a good strategy. Host cells could use an alternative receptor and shut down production of the main receptor. The microbe would not have anything to attach to and the cell would thus prevent infection.
• B) Yes, it IS a good strategy. If it's a receptor the cell MUST use, it doesn't have an alternative receptor to switch to, so even though that receptor makes the cell susceptible to infection, it HAS to put that target out there. This benefits the microbe.
• C) No, it ISN'T a good strategy. Microbes need to evade detection and elimination by the immune system. If they adhere to a receptor that plays a critical function, they are less likely to trigger destructive immune responses. This would be similar to using a hostage as a shield in a police-standoff situation.
• D) No, it ISN'T a good strategy. By binding to receptors, the microbes will be phagocytosed by cells and destroyed within them, thus failing to infect the host cell.
• E) Yes, it IS a good strategy. If the microbe attaches to a critical receptor, the host cell will be forced to try to rid itself of the pathogen. One way it can do this is to phagocytose the pathogen, thereby taking it into its own nucleus, which benefits the pathogen.

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