title: Dermal white adipose tissue: a new component of the thermogenic response.
abstract: Recent literature suggests that the layer of adipocytes embedded in the skin below the dermis is far from being an inert spacer material. Instead, this layer of dermal white adipose tissue (dWAT) is a regulated lipid layer that comprises a crucial environmental defense. Among all the classes of biological molecules, lipids have the lowest thermal conductance and highest insulation potential. This property can be exploited by mammals to reduce heat loss, suppress brown adipose tissue activation, reduce the activation of thermogenic programs, and increase metabolic efficiency. Furthermore, this layer responds to bacterial challenge to provide a physical barrier and antimicrobial disinfection, and its expansion supports the growth of hair follicles and regenerating skin. In sum, this dWAT layer is a key defensive player with remarkable potential for modifying systemic metabolism, immune function, and physiology. In this review, we discuss the key literature illustrating the properties of this recently recognized adipose depot.
authors.affiliation: McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research and Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research and Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: Ildiko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kasza
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: C-L Eric
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: Scott B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hernando
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Colin A B
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jahoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Horsley
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Ormond A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: MacDougald
mesh_terms: D052438:Adipocytes, White / Q000502:physiology; D050154:Adiposity; D000818:Animals; D020405:Dermis / Q000502:physiology; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000502:physiology*; D022722:Thermogenesis
keywords: adipocytes; antimicrobial; cytokines; diabetes; environmental defense; follicular development; insulation; skin; thermogenesis