title: The Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain: a molecular switch for inflammation and host defence.
abstract: The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) signals via the Type-I IL-1 receptor (IL-1RI), inducing an increase in the expression of many genes with roles in immunity and inflammation. The signalling pathways involve two adapter proteins, MyD88 and Tollip, which via two IL-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAK and IRAK-2) activate transcription factors such as nuclear factor-kappa B and protein kinases such as p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. A role for the low-molecular-mass G-proteins Rac, Ras and Rap in these processes has also been indicated. IL-1RI is the founder of a diverse superfamily of receptors, which all share a cytosolic domain, termed the Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain. The superfamily can be divided broadly into three subgroups. The first of these is most similar to IL-1RI and includes the receptor for IL-18 and the Th2 cell regulator T1/ST2. The second subgroup is most similar to the Drosophila melanagaster protein Toll and includes Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), which is required for host defence against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi, and TLR4, which is required for lipopolysaccharide responsiveness, and thus is involved in host defence against Gram-negative bacteria. There are also a number of TLRs in plants and insects, all involved in host defence. The third subgroup contains non-receptor proteins which possess a TIR domain and are cytosolic. MyD88 is a member, and it presumably complexes with IL-1RI via a TIR-TIR interaction. The other two members are proteins encoded by the vaccinia virus, A46R and A52R, which block TIR-dependent signalling. This receptor superfamily therefore appears to play a central role in inflammation and host defence against infection, pointing to the TIR domain as a critical molecular player in the innate immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. laoneill@tcd.ie
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Neill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; C495342:TLR2 protein, human; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; C068721:Tl protein, Drosophila; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors