title: Innate immunity. Dermal adipocytes protect against invasive Staphylococcus aureus skin infection.
abstract: Adipocytes have been suggested to be immunologically active, but their role in host defense is unclear. We observed rapid proliferation of preadipocytes and expansion of the dermal fat layer after infection of the skin by Staphylococcus aureus. Impaired adipogenesis resulted in increased infection as seen in Zfp423(nur12) mice or in mice given inhibitors of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. This host defense function was mediated through the production of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide from adipocytes because cathelicidin expression was decreased by inhibition of adipogenesis, and adipocytes from Camp(-/-) mice lost the capacity to inhibit bacterial growth. Together, these findings show that the production of an antimicrobial peptide by adipocytes is an important element for protection against S. aureus infection of the skin.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Ling-juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Christian F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Guerrero-Juarez
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Tissa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.affiliation: Nomis Foundation Laboratories for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Sagar P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bapat
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Maksim V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Plikus
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. rgallo@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D054804:Cathelicidins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020405:Dermis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054804:Cathelicidins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C484557:Ebfaz protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors