Toll road for Toxoplasma gondii: the mystery continues.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are considered to be essential for the initiation of immune responses against pathogens. Although myeloid differentiation factor 88 an adaptor molecule for most TLRs, is important for protection against Toxoplasma gondii, the TLR responsible for eliciting an immune response against this obligate intracellular pathogen remains unknown. A recent article reports that mice lacking TLR9 cannot develop severe inflammatory responses to T. gondii infection. The implications of this finding are discussed here.
Khan
Imtiaz A
IA
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University Medical Center, Ross Hall Suite 736, 2300 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA. mtmixk@gwumc.edu
D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / Q000276:immunology; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000276:immunology; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology*
D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors