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Isolation and characterization of the human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein gene

Nature volume 317, pages 361–363 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Pulmonary surfactant is a phospholipid–protein complex which serves to lower the surface tension at the air–liquid interface in the alveoli of the mammalian lung and is essential for normal respiration1. Inadequate levels of surfactant at birth, a frequent situation in premature infants, results in respiratory failure. In all species examined, surfactant is composed primarily of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and two major protein species of relative molecular mass (Mr) 32,000 (32K) and 10K (refs 2–5). Reconstitution in vitro of purified 32K pulmonary surfactant apoprotein (PSAP) with synthetic lipids forms a lipoprotein complex that lowers surface tension by spreading to create a thin interfacial film6,7. Here we describe the cloning of the human PSAP gene and complementary DNA, and discuss features of the unusual encoded protein.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. California Biotechnology Inc., 2450 Bayshore Frontage Road, Mountain View, California, 94043, USA

    R. Tyler White, Deborah Damm, Judith Miller, Kaye Spratt, James Schilling, Brad Benson & Barbara Cordell

  2. Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA

    Samuel Hawgood

Authors
  1. R. Tyler White
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  2. Deborah Damm
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  3. Judith Miller
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  5. James Schilling
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  6. Samuel Hawgood
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  7. Brad Benson
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  8. Barbara Cordell
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White, R., Damm, D., Miller, J. et al. Isolation and characterization of the human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein gene. Nature 317, 361–363 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/317361a0

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