Toll-like receptor structural determinants: Variability analysis by digital signal processing methods

The design of new drugs delivery systems is strongly dependent on the capability to maximize biocompatibility and reduce immunotoxicity. The minimization of foreign body reactions is one of the critical step, and toll-like receptors play a pivotal role in sensing and activation of response against exogenous elements. The complexity of these molecules brings about the need to identify those local structural elements that preferentially interact with different classes of compounds. We have applied Digital Signal Processing (DSP) methods to identify the regions containing these structural elements. DSP analysis has been carried out on `wild-type´ and several allelic forms of Toll-like receptor 1 cDNA. DSP has enabled the screening of allele specific nucleotide domains that could have an effect on allele-specific response against exogenous compounds.