Toll-like receptor 4
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the TLR4 gene. TLR4 is a member of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, which plays a fundamental role in pathogen recognition and activation of innate immunity.
Pronunciation
Toll-like receptor 4 is pronounced as "toll-like re-sep-tor four".
Etymology
The term "Toll-like receptor" is derived from the name of a protein involved in embryonic development in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The protein was named "Toll" because of its role in "tolling" or signaling the development of the Drosophila embryo. The "4" in TLR4 signifies that it is the fourth member of the TLR family to be discovered.
Function
TLR4 is a type of Pattern recognition receptor (PRR) that recognizes molecules that are broadly shared by pathogens but distinguishable from host molecules, collectively referred to as Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLR4 is known to recognize bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a type of PAMP.
Related Terms
- Innate immunity
- Pathogen-associated molecular patterns
- Pattern recognition receptor
- Toll-like receptor
See Also
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