Nature· 2026Q1
The lipidomic architecture of the mouse brain
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Researchers mapped the mouse brain's membrane lipids at micrometer scale, revealing distinct spatial territories called 'lipizones' that partially align with cell types but also capture axon terminals, offering a new view of brain organization.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Mapped the spatial organization of membrane lipids in the adult mouse brain at micrometer resolution.
- Identified distinct lipid territories ('lipizones') that correlate with functional anatomy, cell types, and axon terminals.
- Discovered new axes of oligodendrocyte heterogeneity in white matter and biochemical zonation in the choroid plexus.
- Observed adaptive remodelling of lipizones in the white matter and cortex of pregnant female mice.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Lipids are fundamental components of the brain, crucial for synaptic transmission and signal propagation. Altered brain lipid composition is associated with common and rare neuropathologies, yet the spatial organization of the mammalian brain lipidome remains insufficiently characterized compared with other modalities 1–6 . Here we mapped the membrane-lipid architecture of the adult mouse brain at micrometric scale, across sexes and during pregnancy. This lipid brain atlas reveals that lipids describe a fine-grained biochemical structure that aligns with functional anatomy. Membrane-lipid spatial heterogeneity clusters into territories, which we termed ‘lipizones’. Lipizones partially mirror cell-type territories, but also capture distal axon terminals. Through lipizones, we (1) reveal the organizing principles of the grey matter lipidome, related to connectivity and cytoarchitecture; (2) discover a new axis of oligodendrocyte heterogeneity in the white matter; and (3) find biochemical zonation in the choroid plexus and in the ventricular walls. We show that this lipidomic architecture can adapt to changing physiological needs. In the brain of pregnant female mice, the white matter is metabolically activated and the cortex undergoes a lipizone-specific remodelling that is particularly pronounced in layer 4. These results are a foundational resource ( https://lbae-v2.epfl.ch/ ) poised to reshape the understanding of lipids in brain development, physiology and pathology.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Nature, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Developmental Neuroscience
Developmental NeuroscienceNeuroscience