Lipoteichoic acid


Lipoteichoic acid is a major constituent of the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria. These organisms have an inner membrane and, external to it, a thick peptidoglycan layer. The structure of LTA varies between the different species of Gram-positive bacteria and may contain long chains of ribitol or glycerol phosphate. LTA is anchored to the cell membrane via a diacylglycerol. It acts as regulator of autolytic wall enzymes. It has antigenic properties being able to stimulate specific immune response.
LTA may bind to target cells non-specifically through membrane phospholipids, or specifically to CD14 and to Toll-like receptors. Binding to TLR-2 has shown to induce NF-κB expression, elevating expression of both pro- and anti-apoptotic genes. Its activation also induces mitogen-activated protein kinases activation along with phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation.

Studies

LTA's molecular structure has been found to have the strongest hydrophobic bonds of an entire bacteria.
Said et al. showed that LTA causes an IL-10-dependent inhibition of CD4 T-cell expansion and function by up-regulating PD-1 levels on monocytes which leads to IL-10 production by monocytes after binding of PD-1 by PD-L.