Scientists at EPFL have built the first detailed 3D map of lipids in the mouse brain, revealing a hidden layer of chemical organization. Using mass spectrometry imaging, they analyzed about 7 million measurements across 109 brain slices from 11 mice. The resulting Lipid Brain Atlas identifies 539 distinct territories, each with a characteristic lipid signature, which the researchers named "lipizones." The work was published in Nature.
Many lipizones align with known anatomical structures, but others expose boundaries that standard gene- or cell-based maps miss. The team found that white matter, previously considered relatively uniform, is actually a patchwork of chemically distinct regions. They also detected unexpected lipid boundaries in the choroid plexus and tissues lining the brain's internal cavities. The patterns are so specific that researchers could determine where a tissue sample came from just by looking at its lipid composition.
The atlas also revealed that pregnancy substantially alters lipid distributions across many brain regions—more so than typical sex differences. The cortex showed especially extensive changes, while levels of galactosyl ceramide, a myelin component, rose sharply in white matter. According to the researchers, this suggests the brain adjusts its lipid chemistry to support changing physiological demands. The Lipid Brain Atlas is freely available online, offering a new resource for studying brain aging, disease, and adaptation. The source is a single study, so no conflicting findings are noted.{