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Skin is a frequent site of immunologic challenge, and rapid innate immune responses to infections involve an orchestrated response of keratinocytes and immune cells. Now, Zhang and colleagues elucidate a surprising new role for adipocytes in the antibacterial defense against Staphylococcus aureus, a frequent cause of skin infections.
The authors recognized that the subcutaneous fat compartment expanded significantly early in the course of S. aureus infection in mice injected with the bacteria, due to increased differentiation of preadipocytes and enlargement of cells. Chemical inhibitors of this process, such as peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR) γ antagonists, also resulted in higher susceptibility to infection. The researche…