English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Alveolar type II (AT II) cells are in close contact with an air-liquid interface (I(AL)). This contact may be of considerable physiological relevance; however, no data exist to provide a satisfying description of this specific microenvironment. This is mainly due to the experimental difficulty to manipulate and analyze cell-air contacts in a specific way. Therefore, we designed assays to quantify cell viability, Ca(2+) changes, and exocytosis in the course of interface contact and miniaturized I(AL) devices for direct, subcellular, and real-time analyses of cell-interface interactions by fluorescence microscopy or interferometry. The studies demonstrated that the sole presence of an I(AL) is not sensed by the cells. However, when AT II cells are forced into closer contact with it, they respond promptly with sustained Ca(2+) signals and surfactant exocytosis before the occurrence of irreversible cell damage. This points to a paradoxical situation: a potential threat and potent stimulus for the cells. Furthermore, we found that the signalling mechanism underlying sensation of an I(AL) can be sufficiently explained by mechanical forces. These results demonstrate that the I(AL) itself can play a major, although so-far neglected, role in lung physiology, particularly in the regulatory mechanisms related with surfactant homeostasis. Moreover, they also support a general new concept of mechanosensation in the lung.

Interfacial sensing by alveolar type II cells: a new concept in lung physiology?