Comparative analysis of species-specific ligand recognition in Toll-like receptor 8 signaling: a hypothesis.

ABSTRACT: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a central role in the innate immune response by recognizing conserved structural patterns in a variety of microbes. TLRs are classified into six families, of which TLR7 family members include TLR7, 8, and 9, which are localized to endolysosomal compartments recognizing viral infection in the form of foreign nucleic acids. In our current study, we focused on TLR8, which has been shown to recognize different types of ligands such as viral or bacterial ssRNA as well as small synthetic molecules. The primary sequences of rodent and non-rodent TLR8s are similar, but the antiviral compound (R848) that activates the TLR8 pathway is species-specific. Moreover, the factors underlying the receptor's species-specificity remain unknown. To this end, comparative homology

SUBMITTER: Govindaraj RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3176813 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature