title: Syntaxin 1A is transiently expressed in fetal lung mesenchymal cells: potential developmental roles.
abstract: Lung development is a complex process in which epithelial-mesenchymal interactions play a key role. A conserved secretory apparatus, the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex, is essential for exocytosis in many cell types. Syntaxins, located on the terminal plasma membrane (T-SNAREs), are a critical component of the secretosomal complex involved in vesicular docking, fusion, and exocytosis. We analyzed syntaxin 1A mRNA and protein in fetal rat lung ontogeny, demonstrating peak expression on about day 19 of embryonic development, immediately preceding type II pneumocyte differentiation. Syntaxin 1A is predominantly expressed by lipofibroblasts, which are required for bombesin-like peptide-induced surfactant phospholipid synthesis (choline uptake) by isolated type II cells. In organ cultures, anti-syntaxin 1A antibody HPC-1 blocks choline uptake both at baseline and when induced by bombesin-like peptide or dexamethasone. HPC-1 also promotes thymidine uptake in parallel in a dose-dependent fashion. These observations indicate a potential role for syntaxin 1A during fetal lung development, possibly through involvement in secretion of mesenchymal cell-derived factors that induce terminal type II cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Brimhall
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sikorski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torday
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shahsafaei
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sunday
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D001839:Bombesin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050827:Syntaxin 1; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C494213:Stx1a protein, rat; D050827:Syntaxin 1; D001839:Bombesin