R. Ghildyal et al., Surfactant protein a binds to the fusion glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus and neutralizes virion infectivity, J INFEC DIS, 180(6), 1999, pp. 2009-2013
Collectins are a family of calcium-dependent collagenous lectins that appea
r to be important in innate host defense. We investigated the ability of th
ree human collectins, namely, lung surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D
) and the serum mannose-binding protein (MBP), to bind to the surface glyco
proteins of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SP-A was shown to bind to th
e F (fusion) glycoprotein but not to the viral G (attachment) glycoprotein,
and binding was completely abrogated in the presence of EDTA, Neither SP-D
nor MBP bound to either glycoprotein, SP-A also neutralized RSV in a calci
um dependent fashion. These results support a role for SP-A in the defense
of infants against infection with RSV and indicate a possible mechanism for
its protective activity.