| First Author | Bühling F | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 10 | Pages | e26247 |
| PubMed ID | 22022579 | Mgi Jnum | J:178096 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5297289 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0026247 |
| Citation | Buhling F, et al. (2011) Gene targeting of the cysteine peptidase cathepsin H impairs lung surfactant in mice. PLoS One 6(10):e26247 |
| abstractText | BACKGROUND: The 11 human cysteine cathepsins are proteases mainly located in the endolysosomal compartment of all cells and within the exocytosis pathways of some secretory cell types. Cathepsin H (Ctsh) has amino- and endopeptidase activities. In vitro studies have demonstrated Ctsh involvement in the processing and secretion of the pulmonary surfactant protein B (SP-B). Furthermore, Ctsh is highly expressed in the secretory organelles of alveolar type II pneumocytes where the surfactant proteins are processed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Hence, we generated Ctsh null mice by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells to investigate the role of this protease in surfactant processing in vivo. The targeting construct contains a ss-galactosidase (lacZ) reporter enabling the visualisation of Ctsh expression sites. Ctsh-deficiency was verified by northern blot, western blot, and measurement of the Ctsh aminopeptidase activity. Ctsh(-/-) mice show no gross phenotype and their development is normal without growth retardation. Broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) from Ctsh(-/-) mice contained lower levels of SP-B indicating reduced SP-B secretion. The BAL phospholipid concentration was not different in Ctsh(+/+) and Ctsh(-/-) mice, but measurement of surface tension by pulsating bubble surfactometry revealed an impairment of the tension reducing function of lung surfactant of Ctsh(-/-) mice. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that cathepsin H is involved in the SP-B production and reduced SP-B levels impair the physical properties of the lung surfactant. However, Ctsh defiency does not reproduce the severe phenotype of SP-B deficient mice. Hence, other proteases of the secretory pathway of type II pneumocytes, i.e. cathepsins C or E, are still able to produce surfactant of sufficient quality in absence of Ctsh. |
