It is an inhibitory adaptor protein within
Toll-like receptors (TLR). The TLR pathway is a part of the
innate immune system that recognizes structurally conserved molecular patterns of microbial pathogens, leading to an inflammatory immune response. Tollip interacts with cellular and subcellular membrane compartments such as endosome and lysosome through its C2 domain binding with phosphoinositides. By coordinating organelle communications, Tollip can contribute to the fusion of endo-lysosome and autophagosome. Mice with Tollip deletion exhibit elevated risks for inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and
neurodegeneration. ==Clinical significance==