Three Cases of Severe Pharyngitis Were Reported in a Community

question 94

Multiple Choice

Three cases of severe pharyngitis were reported in a community of immigrants.  The patients had thick pharyngeal exudates, neck swelling, and difficulty swallowing.  One of them died from severe heart failure.  The toxin responsible has a mechanism of action most similar to another toxin produced by which of the following bacteria?

• A)Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• B)Staphylococcus aureus
• C)Clostridium difficile
• D)Clostridium botulinum
• E)Bordetella pertussis
• F)Vibrio cholerae

---

Definitions:

DNA Helicase

An enzyme that unwinds the DNA helix ahead of the replication fork, allowing the replication machinery to access the single strands of DNA.

Primosome

A complex of proteins responsible for synthesizing the RNA primers required in DNA synthesis.

Single-Strand Binding Proteins

Proteins that bind to single-stranded DNA during replication or repair processes, stabilizing the DNA.

DNA Primase

Enzyme that begins the process of DNA replication by synthesizing a short RNA segment complementary to the DNA template strand; this RNA strand is subsequently degraded and replaced with DNA.