The genes encoding bovine SP‐A, SP‐D, MBL‐A, conglutinin, CL‐43 and CL‐46 form a distinct collectin locus on Bos taurus chromosome 28 (BTA28) at position q.1.8–1.9

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Abstract
Summary: Collectins are a group of C‐type lectins involved in the innate immune system, where they mediate and modulate clearance of pathogens. The health status of cattle is of major economical and ethical concern; therefore, the study of bovine collectins is of importance. The collectins conglutinin, CL‐43 and CL‐46 are only present in Bovidae and the characterization of their genes indicates that they are structural descendants of another collectin, lung surfactant protein D (SP‐D). In this study, we assembled BAC clones into a contig spanning 330–1150 kb, which includes the bovine genes encoding the collectins SP‐A (SFTPA), SP‐D (SFTPD), mannan‐binding lectin A (MBL1), CL‐43 (COLEC9), CL‐46 (COLEC13) and conglutinin (COLEC8). In the same contig, we also identified a gene that potentially encodes a novel conglutinin‐like collectin (COLEC14). The arrangement of STFPA, SFTPD and MBL1 is homologous to the organization found in humans and mice, whereas the Bovidae‐specific collectin genes, COLEC8, COLEC9 and COLEC13, extend from SFTPD. Proximal to the collectin locus at BTA28q1.8–1.9, and included in the contig, we found the microsatellite IDVGA8, which may be a valuable marker for tracking polymorphisms in the linked collectin genes.