TLR7 and TLR8 evolution in lagomorphs: different patterns in the different lineages

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are one of the most ancient and widely studied innate immune receptors responsible for host defense against invading pathogens. Among the known TLRs, TLR7 and TLR8 sense and recognize single-stranded (ss) RNAs with a dynamic evolutionary history. While TLR8 was lost in birds and duplicated in turtles and crocodiles, TLR7 is duplicated in some birds, but in other tetrapods, there is only one copy. In mammals, with the exception of lagomorphs, TLR7 and TLR8 are highly conserved. Here, we aim to study the evolution of TLR7 and TLR8 in mammals, with a special focus in the order Lagomorpha. By searching public sequence databases, conducting evolutionary analysis, and evaluating gene expression, we were able to confirm that TLR8 is absent in hares but widely expressed in the European rabbit. In contrast, TLR7 is absent in the European rabbit and quite divergent in hares. Our results suggest that, in lagomorphs, more in particular in leporids, TLR7 and TLR8 genes have evolved faster than in any other mammalian group. The long history of interaction with viruses and their location in highly dynamic telomeric regions might explain the pattern observed.