Casals Carro, María CristinaCañadas Benito, Olga2024-01-152024-01-152012-05-31Casals C, Cañadas O. Role of lipid ordered/disordered phase coexistence in pulmonary surfactant function. Biochim Biophys Acta-Biomembranes. 2012; 1818(11):2550-620005-273610.1016/j.bbamem.2012.05.024https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93133The respiratory epithelium has evolved to produce a complicated network of extracellular membranes that are essential for breathing and, ultimately, survival. Surfactant membranes form a stable monolayer at the air-liquid interface with bilayer structures attached to it. By reducing the surface tension at the air-liquid interface, surfactant stabilizes the lung against collapse and facilitates inflation. The special composition of surfactant membranes results in the coexistence of two distinct micrometer-sized ordered/disordered phases maintained up to physiological temperatures. Phase coexistence might facilitate monolayer folding to form three-dimensional structures during exhalation and hence allow the film to attain minimal surface tension. These folded structures may act as a membrane reserve and attenuate the increase in membrane tension during inspiration. The present review summarizes what is known of ordered/disordered lipid phase coexistence in lung surfactant, paying attention to the possible role played by domain boundaries in the monolayer-to-multilayer transition, and the correlations of biophysical inactivation of pulmonary surfactant with alterations in phase coexistence.engjournal articlehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005273612001824restricted access577.112612.2Lateral phase separationSP-ASP-BSP-CSurface activitySurfactant inhibitionBioquímica (Biología)Fisiología2302 Bioquímica2411.17 Fisiología de la Respiración