Toll-like receptors and Type I interferons

Abstract

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key molecules of the innate immune systems, which detect conserved structures found in a broad range of pathogens and trigger innate immune responses. A subset of TLRs recognizes viral components and induces antiviral responses. Whereas TLR4 recognizes viral components at the cell surface, TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 recognize viral nucleic acids on endosomal membrane. After ligand recognition, these members activate their intrinsic signaling pathways and induce type I interferon. In this review, we discuss the recent findings of the viral recognition by TLRs and their signaling pathways.