[A new signal receptor family--a review of the current progress of Toll/IL-1R family]

Abstract

Toll receptor was first identified in studies of dorsalventral polarity formation of drosophila embryo. As its similarity in structure, function and signal transduction pathway to the IL-1 receptor, Toll becomes a member of a new signal receptor family--the Toll/IL-1R family. Besides participating in embryonic development, this signal receptor family also plays a key role in triggering innate defenses against pathogens, in which the function of human Toll protein in the pathogenesis of LPS is especially interested.