During an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes, an individual generated sufficiently high levels of IgM and IgG antibodies against Streptococcus pyogenes antigen with structural similarities to the heart that cardiac damage was caused. In this example the microbe contributed to autoimmunity via a process known as:

Ans. (d)Molecular mimicry contribute to autoimmunity by triggering responses with microbial molecules that are cross reactive with host molecules. Anergy and central tolerance are mechanisms for preventing autoimmunity. Epitope spreading involves the generation of responses to a series with different antigens, not to cross reactive ones.