Characterisation of the Structural Requirements for the Immunomodulatory Surfactant Protein D (SP-D) to Bind to Maltose Based Ligands

Abstract

Introduction: Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is an important part of the airway innate immune system, responsible for clearance of invading pathogens. As a calcium dependent collagenous lectin, SP-D belongs to the collectin family and uses its carbohydrate recognition domain to interact with ligands on microbes such as bacteria and viruses. An understanding of how the lectin domain of human SP-D interacts with selected saccharides