Abstract
Upon recognition of dsRNA, toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) recruits the adaptor protein TRIF to activate IRF3 and NF-κB signaling, initiating innate immune responses. The ubiquitination of TLR3 downstream signaling molecules and their roles in the innate response have been discovered; however, whether TLR3 itself is ubiquitinated and then functionally involved remains to be elucidated. By immunoprecipitating TLR3-binding proteins in macrophages, we identified ring finger protein 170 (RNF170) as a TLR3-binding E3 ligase. RNF170 mediated the K48-linked polyubiquitination of K766 in the TIR domain of TLR3 and promoted the degradation of TLR3 through the proteasome pathway. The genetic ablation of RNF170 selectively augmented TLR3-triggered innate immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. Our results reveal a novel role for RNF170 in selectively inhibiting TLR3-triggered innate immune responses by promoting TLR3 degradation.