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Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) has been studied extensively as a tumor suppressor gene (Stk11) in the context of cancer. We hypothesized that myeloid LKB1 plays a role in innate immunity during pneumonia.

Mice deficient for LKB1 in myeloid cells (LysM-cre × Stk11^fl/fl) or neutrophils (Mrp8-cre × Stk11^fl/fl) were infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae via the airways. LysM-cre × Stk11^fl/fl mice were also intranasally challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Mice with myeloid LKB1 deficiency, but not those with neutrophil LKB1 deficiency, had increased bacterial loads in lungs 6–40 hours after infection, compared with control mice, pointing to a role for LKB1 in macrophages. Myeloid LKB1 deficiency was associated with reduced cytokine release into the airways on local LPS instillation. The number of classic (SiglecF^highCD11b^neg …