Some poisonous mushrooms in the genus Amanita have been mistaken for edible species. The names given to the poisonous species, such as “destroying angel” refer to deadly effect of the alpha-amanitin toxin in these mushrooms. Researchers have found that alpha-amanitin affects the action of RNA polymerase II. This toxin slows transcription to very low levels. Since the toxin accumulates in the liver, the only way to survive eating a significant amount of these Amanita mushrooms is a liver transplant. Some Drosophila species can breed in Amanita mushrooms. Do you believe that a geneticist studying transcription and how it is regulated might want to know how these Drosophila can survive the alpha-amanitin toxin? Why or why not?
Some poisonous mushrooms in the genus Amanita have been mistaken for edible species. The names given to the poisonous species, such as “destroying angel” refer to deadly effect of the alpha-amanitin toxin in these mushrooms. Researchers have found that alpha-amanitin affects the action of RNA polymerase II. This toxin slows transcription to very low levels. Since the toxin accumulates in the liver, the only way to survive eating a significant amount of these Amanita mushrooms is a liver transplant.
Some Drosophila species can breed in Amanita mushrooms. Do you believe that a geneticist studying transcription and how it is regulated might want to know how these Drosophila can survive the alpha-amanitin toxin? Why or why not?
Amanita belongs to Kingdom Fungi that consists of more than 600 species that include some of the most toxic mushrooms found worldwide. It consists of one of the most potent toxins alpha-amanitin. They also consist of many species of edible mushrooms but due to this mixup of edible and non-edible mushrooms, many fatalities occur worldwide.
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