Porcine lung surfactant protein B gene (SFTPB): cDNA sequencing, chromosomal location, and expression studies

The porcine surfactant protein B (SFTPB) is a single copy gene on chromosome 3. Three different cDNAs for the SFTPB have been isolated and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence comparison revealed six nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), four synonymous SNPs and an in-frame deletion of 69 bp in the region coding for the active protein. Northern analysis showed lung-specific expression of three different isoforms of the SFTPB transcript. The expression level for the SFTPB gene is low in 50 days-old fetus and it increases during lung development. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed significant down regulation of the SFTPB in pigs with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae lung infection.