title: Human surfactant protein A (SP-A) variants: why so many, why such a complexity?
abstract: Human surfactant protein A (SP-A) exhibits extensive complexity at several levels: genetic, transcript (splicing), protein, and composition and size of protein oligomers. Its multiple and important roles in innate host defense, regulation of inflammation, and in aspects of pulmonary surfactant may have necessitated such a complexity from an evolutionary point of view. Moreover, understanding of such a complexity may be useful in the study of disease pathogenesis and the development of disease diagnostics and/or therapeutics.
authors: Departments of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. jfloros@psu.edu
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Floros
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011510:Proteolipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants