Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is a major health problem, with over 2 million deaths each year in the world. Innate immunity plays an important role in the host defense against Mtb. Several classes of pattern recognition receptors (PPRs) expressed on innate immune cells are involved in the recognition of Mtb, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), and NOD-like receptors (NLRs). Among the TLR family, TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 and their adaptor molecule MyD88 play a leading role in the initiation of the immune response against tuberculosis. In addition to TLRs, other PRRs such as NOD2, Dectin-1, Mannose receptor, and DC-SIGN are also involved in the recognition of Mtb. Human epidemiological studies reveal that genetic variation in genes encoding for PRRs in uences disease susceptibility. Therefore, to explore in depth on the recognition characteristics of PRRs and the distribution of gene polymorphism, does not only lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of tuberculosis but also may contribute to the design of novel immunotherapeutic strategies.

Key words: Receptors, pattern recognition, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Immunity, cellular