“tolerance to breaks” — love it, as a wake-me-up phrase regarding changes in the G-X-Y repeats that occur in collagen, and in collagen-like domains in many of the proteins involved in innate immunity (why this post…. SP-D, SP-A, MBP, C1q, conglutinin and dozens of others). Immediately on reading this quote my thought was “tolerance” ha ha, rather wonderful refinements, or adjustments or mutations resulting in more flexibility, which then allows CRD to move more freely. Not tolerance, but utilizing change. Paper with this quote is HERE, and a nice paper in my humble and non-protein scientist opinion, but that phrase just made me smile.

They also state ” The structure suggests a role for Gly–X–Gly interruptions as defining regions of flexibility and molecular recognition in the other wise relatively uniform repeating collagen conformation.” so this might correlate with the bumps and kinks in SP-D collagen-like domain. Further down they state ” The 59-residue triple helix of the host-defense mannose binding lectin (MBL) contain some Gly–Gln–Gly site, 30which is considered to provide the unique kink in the collagen triple helix necessary for the“bouquet of flowers” oligomeric assembly of this protein.”
Just nb, there is no break in the G-x-y group in human SP-D, according to the sequences i have found online.
The repeats (well conserved) of leucine might be fun to examine. MLLFLLSALVLLTQPLGYLEAE