Breathe easy with the protein LPCAT1
Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 23:31
in Health & Medicine
The leading cause of death in infants born prematurely is respiratory distress syndrome. It is caused by deficiency in a fat-protein complex known as lung surfactant, which is critical for optimal gas exchange in the lung. New research indicates that the protein LPCAT1 has a crucial role in surfactant generation in vivo in mice and that LPCAT1 activity must be maximal for the transition from the womb to air breathing.