ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Purification, characterization and immunolocalization of porcine surfactant protein D

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a collectin believed to play an important role in innate immunity. SP-D is characterized by having a collagen-like domain and a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD), which has a specific Ca super(2+)-dependent specificity for saccharides and thus the ability to bind complex glycoconjugates on micro-organisms. This paper describes the tissue immunolocalization of porcine SP-D (pSP-D) in normal slaughter pigs using a monoclonal antibody raised against purified pSP-D. Porcine SP-D was purified from porcine bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by maltose-agarose and immunoglobulin M affinity chromatography. The purified protein appeared on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a band of similar to 53 000 MW in the reduced state and similar to 138 000 MW in the unreduced state. Porcine SP-D was sensitive to collagenase digestion and N-deglycosylation, which reduced the molecular mass to similar to 24 000 MW and similar to 48 000 MW respectively, in the reduced state. N-deglycosylation of the collagen-resistant fragment, reduced the molecular mass to similar to 21 000 MW showing the presence of an N-glycosylation site located in the CRD. Porcine SP-D bound to solid-phase mannan in a dose and Ca super(2+)-dependent manner with a saccharide specificity similar to rat and human SP-D. The purified protein was used for the production of a monoclonal anti-pSP-D antibody. The antibody reacted specifically with pSP-D in the reduced and unreduced state when analysed by Western blotting. Immunohistochemical evaluation of normal porcine tissues showed pSP-D immunoreactivity predominantly in Clara cells and serous cells of the bronchial submucosal glands, and to a lesser extent in alveolar type II cells, epithelial cells of the intestinal glands (crypts of Lieberkuehn) in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum and serous cells of the dorsolateral lacrimal gland.