Sizing up surfactant synthesis.

Phosphatidylcholine is generated through de novo synthesis and remodeling involving a lysophospholipid. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, research from the Shimizu lab (Harayama et al., 2014) demonstrates the highly selective enzymatic behavior of lysophospholipid acyltransferases. The authors present an enzymatic model for phosphatidylcholine molecular species diversification that impacts surfactant formation.