Lipopolysaccharide recognition, CD14, and lipopolysaccharide receptors.

The ability of a host to sense invasion by a pathogenic organism, and to respond appropriately to control infection, is paramount to survival. To that end, an array of receptors and binding proteins has evolved as part of the innate immune system to detect Gram-negative bacteria. This article reviews the role of CD14, other LPS binding proteins, and the Toll family of receptors in the innate recognition of bacterial lipopolysaccharide.