Question

A newly joined teacher develops rice water stools. The causative agent acts on which of the following receptors?

• A. GM 1 ganglioside receptor
• B. GM 2 ganglioside receptor
• C. Sphingomyelin
• D. Cerebroganglioside

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The clinical presentation described is characteristic of cholera, which leads to profuse, watery diarrhea known as "rice water stools". The causative agent of cholera is the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. This bacterium produces an exotoxin, known as cholera toxin, which exerts its effects on the intestinal epithelial cells.

The cholera toxin specifically binds to GM1 ganglioside receptors on the surface of these cells. Once bound, the toxin is internalized, leading to increased adenylate cyclase activity. This results in elevated cAMP levels, contributing to the efflux of chloride ions and water into the intestinal lumen, causing diarrhea.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question regarding the receptor that the causative agent acts on is:

GM 1 ganglioside receptor