title: The role of homodimers in surfactant protein B function in vivo.
abstract: Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is detected in the airways as a sulfhydryl-dependent dimer (M(r) approximately 16,000). To test the hypothesis that formation of homodimers is critical for SP-B function, the cysteine residue reported to be involved in SP-B dimerization was mutated to serine (Cys(248) --> Ser) and the mutated protein was targeted to the distal respiratory epithelium of transgenic mice. Transgenic lines which demonstrated appropriate processing, sorting, and secretion of human SP-B monomer were crossed with SP-B +/- mice to achieve expression of human monomer in the absence of endogenous SP-B dimer (hSP-B(mon), mSP-B-/-). In two of three transgenic lines, hSP-B(mon), mSP-B-/- mice had normal lung structure, complete processing of SP-C proprotein, well formed lamellar bodies, and normal longevity. Pulmonary function studies revealed an altered hysteresis curve for hSP-B(mon), mSP-B-/- mice relative to wild type mice. Large aggregate surfactant fractions from hSP-B(mon), mSP-B-/- mice resulted in higher minimum surface tension in vitro compared with surfactant from wild type mice. Surfactant lipids supplemented with 2% hSP-B monomer resulted in slower adsorption and higher surface tension than surfactant with 2% hSP-B dimer. Taken together, these data indicate a role for SP-B dimer in surface tension reduction in the alveolus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Biology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaltash
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Whitsett
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001059:Apoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019281:Dimerization; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D001059:Apoproteins; D037661:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; C046616:pulmonary surfactant apoprotein