Does Toll-like receptor 3 play a biological role in virus infections?

Abstract

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family functions to recognize conserved microbial and viral structures with the purpose of activating signal pathways to instigate immune responses against infections by these organisms. For example, in vitro studies reveal that the TLR3 ligand is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a product of viral infections. From this observation, it has been proposed that TLR3 is likely an important first signal for virus infections. We approached this issue by investigating the role of TLR3 in four different infectious viral models (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), and reovirus) and in TLR3 genetically deficient ((-/-)) mice. Our results indicate that TLR3 is not universally required for the generation of effective antiviral responses because the absence of TLR3 does not alter either viral pathogenesis or impair host's generation of adaptive antiviral responses to these viruses.

• Authors: Kurt H Edelmann, Sarah Richardson-Burns, Lena Alexopoulou, Kenneth L Tyler, Richard A Flavell, Michael B A Oldstone
• Journal: Virology (Virology) Vol. 322 Issue 2 Pg. 231-8 (May 01 2004) ISSN: 0042-6822 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15110521 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Membrane Glycoproteins
• Receptors, Cell Surface
• Toll-Like Receptor 3
• Toll-Like Receptors

Topics

• Animals
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (pathogenicity)
• Membrane Glycoproteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Muromegalovirus (pathogenicity)
• Orthoreovirus, Mammalian (pathogenicity)
• Receptors, Cell Surface (genetics, metabolism)
• Signal Transduction
• Toll-Like Receptor 3
• Toll-Like Receptors
• Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (pathogenicity)
• Virus Diseases (physiopathology, virology)
• Viruses (pathogenicity)