Nitrate-Sialin2 axis couples ER-mitochondrial calcium signaling with fatty acid metabolism to drive white adipose browning
White adipose browning is a promising route to restore energy balance; however, how inorganic anion signals engage intracellular organelle networks to drive this process remains unclear. Here, we identify Sialin2 as a nitrate sensor that converts dietary nitrate into a spatially confined thermogenic program by coupling ER-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer with lipid routing into mitochondrial oxidation. Sialin2 localizes to mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it strengthens ER-mitochondria contacts and engages the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 (IP3R1)-voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1)-mitochondrial calcium uniporter 1 (MCU1) conduit to enhance inducible mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. In parallel, Sialin2 associates with lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3 (ACSL3), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 A (CPT1A) to channel lipid-droplet-derived fatty acids into β-oxidation, thereby fueling the tricarboxylic acid cycle and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent respiration. Loss of Slc17a5 abolishes nitrate-evoked browning and metabolic benefits, whereas nitrate supplementation improves adipose thermogenesis and systemic metabolic indices in male mice with diet-induced obesity without adrenergic stimulation. Together, these findings identify an organelle-specific nitrate-sensing mechanism that couples inorganic anion signalling to substrate routing in adipocytes and establish a non-hormonal pathway for restoring metabolic homeostasis. Dietary nitrate activates Sialin2 in adipocytes, enhancing ER-mitochondria calcium signalling and lipid metabolism to drive beige fat formation, increase energy expenditure, and promote metabolic homeostasis under high-fat diet conditions.
Authors
- Ou Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3455-9676)
- Mo Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3274-5889)
- Bo Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4213-726X)
- Xiaoyu Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8177-1813)
- Jinsong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7512-1582)
- Xinyue Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8288-7685)
- Songlin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7066-2654)
- Yao Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9874-1031)
- Songyue Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6565-9110)
- Zichen Cao
- Sihan Kong
- Qibing Wu
- Tianyi Zhang
Institutions
- Capital Medical University (CN)
- Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-06-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74256-w
- Primary Topic
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00