You are studying a very harmful intestinal pathogen that sev

You are studying a very harmful intestinal pathogen that severely damages the intestinal epithelium. You have found that this pathogen produces a strong toxin that binds to and inhibits the activity of one specific membrane protein of the epithelial cells. If you treat cells with this toxin you see that they swell rapidly and this swelling is even worse if you bathe the cells in a glucose/Na+ solution like Pedialyte.

a.) Below make an educated guess as to what membrane protein of the intestinal epithelial cells is inhibited by this toxin.

b.) What is happening to make the cells swell when treated by the toxin?

c.) Explain why the situation gets worse when you use Pedialyte.

Solution

I guess that the membrane proteins to which the pathogen bound are TJ proteins ,these proteins mainly regulate the the permeability of the cells by selecting the flow of Ions, small molecules and the solutes between the cells.

When they disrupted these protiens it leads to increased epithelial permeability and it facilitates the colonization of pathogens into the body.

So when the cells are bathedr in pedialyte or glucose solution the ions rapidly move out of cell due to loss of permeability and therefore the condition worsens.