Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2833208 Molecular Immunology 2007 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Surfactant proteins A and D are pattern recognition molecules that play a role in pulmonary host defence. In this paper, we describe for the first time the expression and localisation of both collectins in various porcine tissues using a combination of in situ hybridisation (ISH), RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). SP-D was expressed in several tissues including lung, tongue, intestinal tract, thymus, skin, gall bladder and lacrimal gland. Focal SP-D expression was detected in oesophagus, stomach, kidney, liver, prostate and spleen with both histological techniques. These tissues tested negative with RT-PCR. In contrast, SP-A expression was limited to the lung as measured by ISH and IHC. Interestingly, analysis by RT-PCR showed that thymus, trachea, jejunum and duodenum are positive for the presence of SP-A mRNA. We conclude that the combination of different methods can be advantageous if tissue-specific expression is studied. The importance of SP-D in innate immune defence of the pig is underlined by its expression at the potential ports of entry of pathogens.

Related Topics
Life Sciences Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Molecular Biology
Authors
, , , , , ,