St. Qureshi et al., Host resistance to infection - genetic control of lipopolysaccharide responsiveness by TOLL-like receptor genes, TRENDS GEN, 15(8), 1999, pp. 291-294
Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide evokes a protective inflammatory
response in the normal host. Through genetic analysis of mutant mice, the
gene encoding TOLL-like receptor 4 (Tlr4) was recently identified as a crit
ical component of this host defense mechanism. Tlr4 is a member of an ancie
nt gene family that regulates antimicrobial host defense in plants, inverte
brates and mammals.