Internalization of pulmonary surfactant into lamellar bodies of cultured rat pulmonary type II cells

We investigated the uptake of surfactant by isolated alveolar type II cells by using native pulmonary surfactant complexed with colloidal gold. Internalization to lamellar bodies (LB) occurred via vesicles (mainly coated) and the endosomal system. The highest labeling density was found in the endosomal system: vacuoles and the electron-lucent multivesicular bodies (MVB), which were labeled within 10 min. The labeling of electron-dense MVB (D-MVB) and LB was time dependent, reaching a plateau after 120 min, at which time approximately 30% and 70% of the LB and D-MVB were labeled, respectively. Internalization of surfactant-gold was inhibited by the addition of native surfactant or treatment of the gold complex with antibody against surfactant apoproteins. The internalization pathway of lectin from Macula pomifera (MPA) complexed with gold was compared to that of surfactant. Both pathways were found to be similar, except that mainly smooth vesicles rather than coated ones were involved in the process of MPA-G internalization. The partial labeling of the LB, the possible routing to lysosomes, and the endosomes as junction between the biosynthetic and endocytic pathways are discussed.