Two recent studies add to our understanding of inflammatory signalling in adipose tissue and thus of the link between obesity and chronic inflammation. Toubal et al. showed that the expression of GPS2 and SMRT (also known as NCOR2) — which are transcriptional corepressor complex subunits — is decreased in obese adipose tissue, which results in increased transcription of inflammatory genes such as interleukin-6 (IL6). Weight loss resulting from gastic bypass surgery was associated with increased expression of GPS2 and SMRT, and decreased expression of IL-6. Kim et al. showed that the G protein-coupled receptor GPRC5B — which has been associated with body mass index in humans — is a lipid raft-associated protein that promotes the kinase activity of FYN. FYN positively regulates IKKε−NF-κB signalling, which leads to pro-inflammatory cytokine production by adipocytes. Gprc5b−/− mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance as a result of decreased inflammatory signalling in adipose tissue.