Lymphocyte antigen 96, also known as "Myeloid Differentiation factor 2 (MD-2)," is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LY96 gene. The protein encoded by this gene is involved in binding lipopolysaccharide with Toll-Like Receptor (TLR4). The MD-2 protein appears to associate with toll-like receptor 4 on the cell surface and confers responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), thus providing a link between the receptor and LPS signaling. That is, the primary interface between TLR4 and MD-2 is formed before binding LPS and the dimerization interface is induced by binding LPS.