The Molecular Basis of the Host Response to Lipopolysaccharide

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Microbiol

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Date 2009 Dec 1

PMID 19946286

Citations 153

Authors

Clare E Bryant

David R Spring

Monique Gangloff

Nicholas J Gay

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is produced by Gram-negative bacteria, is a powerful activator of innate immune responses. LPS binds to the proteins Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and MD2 to activate pro-inflammatory signalling pathways. The TLR4-MD2 receptor complex is crucial for the host recognition of Gram-negative bacterial infection, and pathogens have devised many strategies to evade or manipulate TLR4-MD2 activity. The TLR4-MD2 signalling pathway is therefore potentially an important therapeutic target. This Progress article focuses on recent exciting data that have revealed the structural basis of TLR4-MD2 recognition of LPS.

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