title: Phospholipid-transfer proteins and their mRNAs in developing rat lung and in alveolar type-II cells.
abstract: Gene expression of non-specific lipid-transfer protein (nsL-TP; identical with sterol carrier protein 2) and phosphatidylinositol-transfer protein (PI-TP) was investigated in developing rat lung. During the late prenatal period (between days 17 and 22) there is a 7-fold increase in the level of nsL-TP and a 2-fold rise in that of PI-TP. The prenatal increases in the levels of nsL-TP and PI-TP are accompanied by parallel increases in the levels of their mRNAs, indicating pretranslational regulation. Compared with whole lung, isolated alveolar type-II cells are enriched in nsL-TP and its mRNA, but not in PI-TP and its mRNA. The observation that the levels of nsL-TP and its mRNA in rat lung show a pronounced increase in the period of accelerated surfactant formation, together with the observation that the surfactant-producing type-II cells are enriched in nsL-TP and its mRNA, suggest that nsL-TP plays a role in the metabolism of pulmonary surfactant.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Biochemistry, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Batenburg
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Ossendorp
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Snoek
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houweling
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Elfring
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins; D011247:Pregnancy; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger