TLRs function as molecular sensors to detect pathogen-derived products and trigger protective responses ranging from secretion of cytokines that increase the resistance of infected cells and chemokines that recruit immune cells to cell death that limits microbe spreading. Viral dsRNA participate in virus-infected cell apoptosis, but the signaling pathway involved remains unclear. In this study we show that synthetic dsRNA induces apoptosis of human breast cancer cells in a TLR3-dependent manner, which involves the molecular adaptor Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-β and type I IFN autocrine signaling, but occurs independently of the dsRNA-activated kinase. Moreover, detailed molecular analysis of dsRNA-induced cell death established the proapoptotic role of IL-1R-associated kinase-4 and NF-κB downstream of TLR3 as well as the activation of the extrinsic caspases. The direct proapoptotic activity of endogenous human TLR3 expressed by cancerous cells reveals a novel aspect of the multiple-faced TLR biology, which may open new clinical prospects for using TLR3 agonists as cytotoxic agents in selected cancers.

Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is a pattern-recognition receptor known to initiate an innate immune response when stimulated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Components of TLR3 signaling, including TIR domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-a (TRIF), have been demonstrated to contribute to dsRNA-induced cell death through caspase-8 and receptor interacting protein (RIP)1 in various human cancer cells. We provide here a detailed analysis of the caspase-8 activating machinery triggered in response to Poly(I:C) dsRNA. Engagement of TLR3 by dsRNA in both type I and type II lung cancer cells induces the formation of an atypical caspase-8-containing complex that is devoid of classical death receptors of the TNFR superfamily, but instead is physically associated to TLR3. The recruitment of caspase-8 to TLR3 requires RIP1, and is negatively modulated by cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein (cIAP)2-TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF)2-TNFR-associated death domain (TRADD) ubiquitin ligase complex, which regulates RIP1 ubiquitination. Intriguingly, unlike Fas-or TRAILR-dependent death signaling, caspase-8 recruitment and activation within the TLR3 death-signaling complex appears not to be stringently dependent on Fas-associated with death domain (FADD). Our findings uncover a novel aspect of the molecular mechanisms involved during apoptosis induced by the innate immune receptor TLR3 in cancer cells.