Tubulogenesis: Lipid-lining the path to sparkling gas filling.

Clearance of liquid and gas filling of airways is vital for animal respiration. New research shows that a surfactant film of exosomal-derived lipids is built at the air-liquid interface of Drosophila airways before gas filling. Coordinated lysosomal and vesicular pathways synergize to assemble this lipid layer, which is essential for respiration and survival.