Lung surfactant proteins A and D as pattern recognition proteins.

Journal article

Lung surfactant proteins A and D belong to a group of soluble humoral pattern recognition receptors, called collectins, which modulate the immune response to microorganisms. They bind essential carbohydrate and lipid antigens found on the surface of microorganisms via low affinity C-type lectin domains and regulate the host's response by binding to immune cell surface receptors. They form multimeric structures that bind, agglutinate, opsonise and neutralize many different pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, yeast, fungi and viruses. They modulate the uptake of these microorganisms by phagocytic cells as well as both the inflammatory and the adaptive immune responses. Recent data have also highlighted their involvement in clearance of apoptotic cells, hypersensitivity and a number of lung diseases.

Authors: Waters, P; Vaid, M; Kishore, U; Madan, T

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Advances in experimental medicine and biology More from this journal
• Volume: 653
• Pages: 74-97
• Publication date: 2009-01-01
• ISSN: 0065-2598
• Language: English
• Keywords: Receptors, Pattern Recognition; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Fungi; Viruses; Respiratory Hypersensitivity; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; Animals; Allergens; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Molecular Sequence Data; Amino Acid Sequence; Bacteria; Mice