Journal
CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
Volume 25, Issue 1, Pages 1-12Publisher
KARGER
DOI: 10.1159/000272046
Keywords
Exocytosis; Fusion; Hemifusion; Surfactant; Alveolus; Lung; Type II cell; Stretch; Mechanotransduction; ATP
Categories
Funding
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [D1402]
- Krupp Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
A major function of the pulmonary alveolar type II cell is the secretion of surfactant, a lipoprotein-like substance, via exocytosis of secretory vesicles termed lamellar bodies (LBs). The process of surfactant secretion is remarkable in several aspects, considering stimulus-delayed fusion activity, poor solubility of vesicle contents, long hemifusion lifetimes, slow fusion pore expansion and active, actin-driven content release. Cell stretch as well as P2Y(2) receptor stimulation by extracellular ATP are considered the most potent stimuli for LB exocytosis. For both stimuli, elevation of the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+](c) is a key step. This review summarizes possible physiological roles and pathways of stretch-or ATP-induced surfactant secretion and discusses molecular mechanisms controlling the pre-, hemi- and postfusion phase, in comparison with neuroendocrine release mechanisms. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available