Pulmonary surfactant protein SP-C counteracts the deleterious effects of cholesterol on the activity of surfactant films under physiologically relevant compression-expansion dynamics.

ABSTRACT: The presence of cholesterol is critical in defining a dynamic lateral structure in pulmonary surfactant membranes. However, an excess of cholesterol has been associated with impaired surface activity of surfactant. It has also been reported that surfactant protein SP-C interacts with cholesterol in lipid/protein interfacial films. In this study, we analyzed the effect of SP-C on the thermodynamic properties of phospholipid membranes containing cholesterol, and the ability of lipid/protein complexes containing cholesterol to form and respread interfacial films capable of producing very low surface tensions upon repetitive compression-expansion cycling. SP-C modulates the effect of cholesterol to reduce the enthalpy associated with the gel-to-liquid-crystalline melting transition in dipalmit

SUBMITTER: Gomez-Gil L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2776298 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature