Localization of surfactant protein synthesis in human lung by in situ hybridization

In order to investigate the sites of synthesis of the pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins, we performed tissue in situ hybridization. We used frozen sections of human lung tissue and 35S-UTP-labeled cRNA probes to localize mRNAs for the 35 kDa surfactant-associated protein (PSP-A) and for the precursor of one of the hydrophobic, low molecular weight surfactant-associated proteins (PSP-B). We found that PSP-A mRNA is present only in the alveolar epithelial type II cells with alveolar macrophages, bronchiolar epithelium, and other cells of the interstitutium being negative. PSP-B mRNA is present in both alveolar type II cells and in some cells of the bronchiolar epithelium. Macrophages and other cells were negative. The data in this report demonstrate that: (1) type II pneumonocytes are capable of synthesizing both PSP-A and PSP-B, (2) some cells of the human bronchiolar epithelium contain PSP-B mRNA but not PSP-A, and (3) human alveolar macrophages do not synthesize either PSP-A or PSP-B.