What is it about?
LPCAT1 mRNA programs for the development of surfactant in our lungs. This is the substance that keeps them from collapsing between respirations. Our group has been interested in discovering and measuring the quantity of LPCAT1 in the fetus. This paper is the first describing its occurrence in amniotic fluid.
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Why is it important?
LPCAT1 mRNA as with other mRNAs is incredibly unstable and is rapidly consumed by RNAses. By converting its nucleotide sequences back to more stable DNA we have been able to quantitate it in amniiotic fluid (qRT-PCR). This will allow us to perform a series of experiments to find ways to enhance its development. We are looking forward to releasing additional findings in our next manuscript on this topic.
Perspectives
It appears that the ontogeny of LPCAT1 separated us into air breathing mammals as compared to forming an air bladder as in fish. This critical element in the respiratory pathway holds promise in future discovery in perinatal medicine. While we currently cannot prevent premature birth, we may be able to develop an ability to predict the respiratory needs of the newborn by studying it as a fetus.
Robert Welch
Wayne State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Amniotic fluid LPCAT1 mRNA correlates with the lamellar body count, Journal of Perinatal Medicine, January 2016, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2015-0008.
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