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ResearchIn-Press PreviewGastroenterologyMetabolism Open Access | 10.1172/JCI202709

Inhibiting menin attenuates high-fat diet-induced weight gain by limiting intestinal lipid absorption in mice

Xiaoru Cao,1 Pingping Zhou,1 Haiyue Meng,1 Zhitao Guo,1 Yan Cao,2 Chenghao Wang,1 Lulu Liu,1 Yinghao Guo,1 Yue Wang,3 Guoshun Xin,1 Dabin Liu,4 Feng Geng,5 and Jian Ma1

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Cao, X. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Zhou, P. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Meng, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Guo, Z. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Cao, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Wang, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Liu, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Guo, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Wang, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Xin, G. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Liu, D. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Geng, F. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

2Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

3Department of Immunology, Harbin Medical Universtiy, Harbin, China

4NHC Key Laboratory of Molecular Probes and Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China

Find articles by Ma, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published August 11, 2026 - More info

J Clin Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI202709.
Copyright © 2026, Cao et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published August 11, 2026 - Version history
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Abstract

Intestinal lipid metabolism is essential for systemic energy homeostasis, and its modulation is emerging as a therapeutic strategy for obesity. Menin, a scaffold protein that regulates chromatin remodeling and gene expression, is abundantly expressed in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), but its metabolic role remains underexplored. Here, we generated IEC-specific Men1 knockout mouse and found that Men1 deficiency protected against high-fat diet-induced obesity, accompanied by elevated carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) expression in IECs. Increased CES1 promoted triglyceride (TG) hydrolysis and reduced intracellular TG storage, thereby limiting the lipid substrate pool required for ApoB48-dependent chylomicron assembly. Although lipid hydrolysis was enhanced, steady-state free fatty acid levels were not increased; instead, Men1 deficiency activated fatty acid β-oxidation programs and increased etomoxir-sensitive fatty acid–dependent mitochondrial respiration, supporting enhanced fatty acid catabolism. Mechanistically, menin recruited histone deacetylase 1 and interacted with the nuclear receptor LXRβ to suppress Ces1g transcription, thereby sustaining efficient intestinal lipid absorption. Pharmacological inhibition of menin with MI-463 recapitulated the metabolic effects of inducible Men1 deletion. In a human gut organoid-on-chip system, MI-463 dose-dependently increased CES1 expression and markedly reduced lipid accumulation. Collectively, our findings identify menin as a regulator of intestinal lipid metabolism and suggest menin inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy for obesity-related metabolic disorders.

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