Absence of Mal/TIRAP Results in Abrogated Imidazoquinolinones-Dependent Activation of IRF7 and Suppressed IFNβ and IFN-I Activated Gene Production.

Activation of TLR7 by small imidazoquinoline molecules such as R848 or R837 initiates signaling cascades leading to the activation of transcription factors, such as AP-1, NF-κB, and interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) and afterward to the induction of cytokines and anti-viral Type I IFNs. In general, TLRs mediate these effects by utilizing different intracellular signaling molecules, one of them is Mal. Mal is a protein closely related to the antibacterial response, and its role in the TLR7 pathways remains poorly understood.

HSV-1/TLR9-Mediated IFNβ and TNFα Induction Is Mal-Dependent in Macrophages.

Innate immune response is a universal mechanism against invading pathogens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), being part of a first line of defense, are responsible for detecting a variety of microorganisms. Among them TLR9, which is localized in endosomes, acts as a sensor for unmethylated CpG motifs present in bacteria, DNA viruses (e.