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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.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Adv Exp Med Biol

Publication Date

2009

Volume

653

Pages

74 - 97

Keywords

Allergens, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Bacteria, Fungi, Humans, Lung Neoplasms, Mice, Molecular Sequence Data, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A, Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D, Receptors, Pattern Recognition, Respiratory Hypersensitivity, Viruses