Deletion of Scap in Alveolar Type II Cells Influences Lung Lipid Homeostasis and Identifies a Compensatory Role for Pulmonary Lipofibroblasts
Abstract
Pulmonary function after birth is dependent upon surfactant lipids that reduce surface tension in the alveoli. The sterol-responsive element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are transcription factors regulating expression of genes controlling lipid homeostasis in many tissues. To identify the role of SREBPs in the lung, we conditionally deleted the SREBP cleavage-activating protein gene, Scap, in respiratory epithelial cells (ScapDelta/Delta) in vivo. Prior to birth (E18.5), deletion of Scap decreased the expression of both SREBPs and a number of genes regulating fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism. Nevertheless, ScapDelta/Delta mice survived postnatally, surfactant and lung tissue lipids being substantially normalized in adult ScapDelta/Delta mice. Although phospholipid synthesis was decreased in type II cells from adult ScapDelta/Delta mice, lipid storage, synthesis, and transfer by lung lipofibroblasts were increased. mRNA microarray data indicated that SCAP influenced two major gene networks, one regulating lipid metabolism and the other stress-related responses. Deletion of the SCAP/SREBP pathway in respiratory epithelial cells altered lung lipid homeostasis and induced compensatory lipid accumulation and synthesis in lung lipofibroblasts.
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BibTeX
@article{besnard2026deletion,
title = {{Deletion of Scap in Alveolar Type II Cells Influences Lung Lipid Homeostasis and Identifies a Compensatory Role for Pulmonary Lipofibroblasts}},
author = {Valérie Besnard and Susan Wert and Mildred Stahlman and Anthony Postle and Yan Xu and Machiko Ikegami and Jeffrey Whitsett},
journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1074/jbc.m805388200},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05785551v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Deletion of Scap in Alveolar Type II Cells Influences Lung Lipid Homeostasis and Identifies a Compensatory Role for Pulmonary Lipofibroblasts
AU - Valérie Besnard
AU - Susan Wert
AU - Mildred Stahlman
AU - Anthony Postle
AU - Yan Xu
AU - Machiko Ikegami
AU - Jeffrey Whitsett
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
DO - 10.1074/jbc.m805388200
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05785551v1
AB - Pulmonary function after birth is dependent upon surfactant lipids that reduce surface tension in the alveoli. The sterol-responsive element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are transcription factors regulating expression of genes controlling lipid homeostasis in many tissues. To identify the role of SREBPs in the lung, we conditionally deleted the SREBP cleavage-activating protein gene, Scap, in respiratory epithelial cells (ScapDelta/Delta) in vivo. Prior to birth (E18.5), deletion of Scap decreased the expression of both SREBPs and a number of genes regulating fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism. Nevertheless, ScapDelta/Delta mice survived postnatally, surfactant and lung tissue lipids being substantially normalized in adult ScapDelta/Delta mice. Although phospholipid synthesis was decreased in type II cells from adult ScapDelta/Delta mice, lipid storage, synthesis, and transfer by lung lipofibroblasts were increased. mRNA microarray data indicated that SCAP influenced two major gene networks, one regulating lipid metabolism and the other stress-related responses. Deletion of the SCAP/SREBP pathway in respiratory epithelial cells altered lung lipid homeostasis and induced compensatory lipid accumulation and synthesis in lung lipofibroblasts.
SN - 0021-9258
SN - 1083-351X
ER -