The role of LPS receptor cluster and the MaxiK channel in the recognition of LPS LI Liang, WANG Huan-liang, LI Dong-liang, ZHANG Li, LEI Wei-fu Department of Anesthesiology， Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012 , China Abstract Background Bacterial lipopolysaccharide(LPS) induces cytokine synthesis and secretion in cells, resulting in subsequent inflammatory responses of multiple systems. The receptor recognition of LPS and the transmembrane signal transduction play a key role in LPS-induced cell activation. Purpose A novel theory of LPS receptor activation cluster and the role of large-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channel (MaxiK) in LPS recognition will be discussed. Content Following ligation of CD14 by LPS, different signaling molecules must be recruited at the site of the ligation, within lipid rafts, where LPS is then briefly released into the lipid bilayer where it finally interacts with a complex of receptors. Depending on the cell type and the bacterial stimulus, different combinational associations of receptors must occur-different receptor clusters must be formed. The activation of the MaxiK channel is an early step in LPS-induced transmembrane signal transduction in macrophages. And the central IκB-α/NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory pathway depends on the function of MaxiK channel in macrophages. Trend The molecular mechanisms of this receptor recruitment to specific membrane domains are not understood. In addition, the signaling complex appears to recruit several accessory proteins with yet mostly unknown functions for the process of stimulus recognition and signal transduction.