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Review
. 2002 Mar;109(6):707-12.
doi: 10.1172/JCI15293.

The pulmonary collectins, SP-A and SP-D, orchestrate innate immunity in the lung

Francis X McCormack  1 , Jeffrey A Whitsett
Affiliations
Review

The pulmonary collectins, SP-A and SP-D, orchestrate innate immunity in the lung

Francis X McCormack et al. J Clin Invest. 2002 Mar.
No abstract available

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tubular myelin in host defense. Surfactant phospholipids that are secreted into the alveolar space form lattice-like arrays of intersecting membranes called tubular myelin (a). Tubular myelin formation is dependent on SP-A, which is visible as electron-dense structures at the corners of the lattice (30). (b)The images suggest a model in which the C-type lectin domains of SP-A are buried at the membrane intersections and the N-terminal domains extend toward the centers of individual squares. The association of SP-A with tubular myelin places the collectin in the first line of defense against alveolar pathogens, in a configuration that does not disrupt surface activity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pulmonary collectins orchestrate host defense, inflammation, and oxidant production. Schematic of alveolar defense roles for SP-A and SP-D suggested by in vitro studies and genetically engineered animal models. SP-A and SP-D are secreted by alveolar type II cells into the alveolar lumen. The presentation of microorganisms to inflammatory cells is determined in part by SP-A and SP-D, which aggregate and opsonize diverse viral, fungal, and bacterial species. SP-A and SP-D preserve gas exchange by limiting inflammatory cell infiltration and alveolar exudation, both by increasing the rate of clearance of microorganisms from the lung and by directly modulating inflammatory cytokine and oxidant responses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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