Dehydration promotes intracellular lipid synthesis and accumulation

Nature Communications 2026 Open access

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Authors: Joshua Carty, Jazlyn A. Selvasingh, Yvonne P. Zuchowski, Hyuck-Jin Nam, Clothilde Pénalva, Gayani Nanayakkara, Erin Q. Jennings, Kelsey Voss, Edith T. Adame, John T. Tossberg, Wei Sheng Yap, Meiling Melzer
+34 more Olga M. Viquez, A. Scott McCall, Elizabeth R. Piotrowski, Ryoichi Bessho, Shirong Cao, Katrina L. Leaptrot, Alexandra C. Schrimpe‐Rutledge, Simona G. Codreanu, Stacy D. Sherrod, JOHN A. JUN. MCLEAN, Jonathan B. Trapani, Matthew A. Cottam, Ma Wan, Deepti Shrivastava, Don A. Delker, Matthew H. Wilson, Clinton M. Hasenour, Louise Lantier, Irene Chernova, Jamey D. Young, Volker H. Haase, José Pablo Vázquez‐Medina, Dylan K. Kosma, Peter Kim, Jean‐Philippe Cartailler, Mingzhi Zhang, Roy Zent, Raymond Clement Harris, Jason A. Watts, Andrew Scott Terker, Fabian M Bock, Jeffrey C. Rathmell, Aylin R. Rodan, Juan Pablo Arroyo
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73534-x
Cited by: 1
References: 53

Abstract

Abstract Lipids can be considered a water reservoir used to offset dehydration stress as their oxidation by the mitochondria generates water. However, whether dehydration and the ensuing hypertonic stress directly regulate lipid synthesis is unknown. We found that hypertonic stress decreases cellular oxygen consumption, increases intracellular lipid synthesis, and favors glutamine oxidation as a carbon precursor for lipid synthesis via remodeling mitochondrial metabolism. These findings provide a mechanism whereby cellular dehydration leads to intracellular lipid accumulation, functionally linking water availability to lipid storage.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Adipose Tissue and Metabolism Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis Mitochondrial Function and Pathology

Publication details

Journal / source
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
17
Issue
1
Publication date
25 May 2026
Language
EN