title: ErbB4 regulates fetal surfactant phospholipid synthesis in primary fetal rat type II cells.
abstract: Insufficient fetal surfactant production leads to respiratory distress syndrome among preterm infants. Neuregulin signals the onset of fetal surfactant phospholipid synthesis through formation of erbB receptor dimers. We hypothesized that erbB4 downregulation in fetal type II epithelial cells will downregulate not only fetal surfactant phospholipid synthesis, but also affect proliferation and erbB receptor localization. We tested these hypotheses using small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against the erbB4 gene to silence erbB4 receptor function in cultures of primary day 19 fetal rat lung type II cells. ErbB4 siRNA treatment inhibited erbB4 receptor protein expression, fibroblast-conditioned medium induced erbB4 phosphorylation, and fetal surfactant phospholipid synthesis. Cell proliferation, measured as thymidine incorporation, was also inhibited by erbB4 siRNA treatment. Downregulation of erbB4 receptor protein changed erbB1 localization at baseline and after stimulation, as determined by confocal microscopy and subcellular fractionation. We conclude that erbB4 is an important receptor in the control of fetal lung type II cell maturation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Tufts University and Floating Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zscheppang
authors.forename: Washa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Maryann V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Heber C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Christiane E L
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Dammann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002794:Choline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019281:Dimerization; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C587691:Erbb4 protein, rat; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D002794:Choline; D013936:Thymidine