title: Development of the surfactant system.
abstract: Pulmonary surfactant is a lipoprotein complex produced by type II pneumocytes that lines and stabilizes alveoli. Surfactant-specific proteins are early markers of the embryonic lung. Precursors of type II pneumocytes appear to be committed early and are able to pursue their differentiation program in a relatively autonomous way. Despite this potential, surfactant ontogeny and storage actually take place relatively late in the course of fetal development. Surfactant accumulation is, therefore, delayed until a certain stage after which it is stimulated by a number of factors. Recent investigations have pointed out the possible role of paracrine mechanisms in the determinism of this control, especially with regard to retinoids and TGF-beta.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U 319, Université Denis Diderot-Paris 7, France.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bourbon
mesh_terms: D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants