Biophysical and Biological Activity of a Synthetic 8.7-kDa Hydrophobic Pulmonary Surfactant Protein SP-B

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 87; no. 7; pp. 2633 - 2637
• Main Authors: Sarin, Virender K., Gupta, Shanker, Leung, Tat K., Taylor, Victor E., Ohning, Bryan L., Whitsett, Jeffrey A., Fox, J. Lawrence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01-04-1990; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Admixtures; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bubbles; Cattle; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hydrofluoric Acid; Immune Sera; Interfacial tension; Lipids; Lung - metabolism; Lungs; Miscellaneous; Molecular Sequence Data; Phospholipids; Proteins; Proteolipids - chemical synthesis; Proteolipids - genetics; Proteolipids - physiology; Pulmonary Surfactants - chemical synthesis; Pulmonary Surfactants - genetics; Pulmonary Surfactants - physiology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Surface Tension; Surfactants; Total lung capacity; Proteins; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Rat; Pulmonary surfactant; Lung; Rodentia; Respiratory distress; Solid phase; Peptidic synthesis; Biological activity
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.87.7.2633

We have synthesized pulmonary surfactant apoprotein SP-B peptides by solid-phase chemistry and demonstrated their ability to enhance the surface-active properties of synthetic lipid mixtures. The synthetic peptides were reactive with antiserum generated against the native bovine surfactant peptide. Both peptides conferred surfactant-like properties to synthetic lipid mixtures as assessed by a Wilhelmy balance and pulsating bubble surfactometer. Likewise, mixtures of synthetic SP-B peptides and lipid restored compliance of isolated surfactant-deficient rat lungs. This work demonstrates the utility of SP-B as a functional component of pulmonary surfactant mixtures for treatment of respiratory distress syndrome or other disorders characterized by surfactant deficiency.