Is glutamate an adipose redox signal that regulates lipolysis?

Authors

Martina Beretta, Elizabeth J New, Kelsey H Fisher-Wellman, James R Krycer

Published in

Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM. Jul 31, 2026. Epub Jul 31, 2026.

Abstract

Uncontrolled adipose lipolysis is a defining feature of insulin resistance and metabolic disease. Although insulin potently suppresses lipolysis, the mechanisms that override antilipolytic control in insulin resistance remain poorly defined. Building on recent advances in metabolic tracing, redox biology, and adipose-neuronal crosstalk, we propose that adipocyte metabolism actively regulates lipolysis. We outline a model whereby redox imbalance within adipocytes promotes the diversion of glucose-derived carbon towards glutamate synthesis. This, in turn, may activate sympathetic drive within white adipose tissue, derepressing lipolysis even under fed conditions. This could reposition 'selective insulin resistance' as a consequence of metabolic rewiring rather than solely due to defective insulin signalling. This suggests that future studies should explore adipose redox balance and neurometabolic signalling as avenues for treating metabolic disease.

PMID:
42538163
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Aug 2026.

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