title: Recognition of endotoxin by cells leading to transmembrane signaling.
abstract: Bacterial endotoxins act at picomolar to nanomolar concentrations to stimulate a wide variety of cell types including phagocytic and endothelial cells. The major elements identified to date that are crucial for recognition of endotoxin are lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein, membrane-bound CD14 and, most recently, soluble CD14. Recent results also indicate that membrane-bound CD14 is probably one part of a multi-component LPS receptor. An immediate consequence of engagement of this functional LPS receptor is protein tyrosine phosphorylation and initiation of the multiple intracellular events associated with LPS-induced cell activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ulevitch
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Tobias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000276:immunology; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D001798:Blood Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides