Insights into the species-specific TLR4 signaling mechanism in response to Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipid A detection

Sci Rep. 2015 Jan 7:5:7657. doi: 10.1038/srep07657.

Abstract

TLR4 in complex with MD2 senses the presence of lipid A (LA) and initiates a signaling cascade that curb the infection. This complex is evolutionarily conserved and can initiate the immune system in response to a variety of LAs. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation (25 ns) was performed to elucidate the differential behavior of TLR4/MD2 complex in response to Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipid A (RsLA). Penta-acyl chain-containing RsLA is at the verge of agonist (6 acyl-chains) and antagonist (4 acyl-chains) structure, and activates the TLR4 pathway in horses and hamsters, while inhibiting in humans and murine. In the time-evolved coordinates, the promising factors that dictated the differential response included the local and global mobility pattern of complexes, solvent-accessible surface area of ligand, and surface charge distributions of TLR4 and MD2. We showed that the GlcN1-GlcN2 backbone acquires agonist (3FXI)-like configurations in horses and hamsters, while acquiring antagonist (2E59)-like configurations in humans and murine systems. Moreover, analysis of F126 behavior in the MD2 F126 loop (amino acids 123-129) and loop EF (81-89) suggested that certain sequence variations also contribute to species-specific response. This study underlines the TLR4 signaling mechanism and provides new therapeutic opportunities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cricetinae
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Lipid A / chemistry
  • Lipid A / metabolism*
  • Lymphocyte Antigen 96 / agonists
  • Lymphocyte Antigen 96 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Lymphocyte Antigen 96 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rhodobacter sphaeroides / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Species Specificity
  • Static Electricity
  • Thermodynamics
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / agonists
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Lipid A
  • Lymphocyte Antigen 96
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4