MOTS-c — Metabolic & Fat Loss
A mitochondrial-derived peptide studied in metabolic research

01

Mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for its role in AMPK signaling

02

Research has explored its effect on diet-induced metabolic changes in animal models

03

Investigated for measures of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance

Metabolic & Fat Loss

MOTS-c

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA, studied in research for its role in metabolic homeostasis, AMPK signaling, and insulin sensitivity.

10mg vial · 2mg/mL · 5mL99.0% purity

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Quick answer

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA, studied in research for its role in metabolic homeostasis, AMPK signaling, and insulin sensitivity.

Format

Injectable

Best use

Metabolic & Fat Loss

Evidence

Research-framed

Deep research

About MOTS-c

MOTS-c (Mitochondrial Open reading frame of the Twelve S rRNA type-c) is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide (MW ~2175 Da) discovered in 2015 by Changhan Lee and Pinchas Cohen at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California. It is encoded within the 12S rRNA gene of mitochondrial DNA, making it one of a handful of known functional peptides encoded by the mitochondrial genome, alongside humanin and the SHLP family.

MOTS-c is stored as lyophilized powder at -20C for long-term stability or 2-8C short term, and reconstituted with bacteriostatic water or sterile saline. It contains two methionine residues susceptible to oxidation, so air exposure is minimized and it is protected from light. It is stable at pH 5-7.

Key benefits

What researchers have looked at

1

Mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for its role in AMPK signaling

2

Research has explored its effect on diet-induced metabolic changes in animal models

3

Investigated for measures of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance

4

Studied in aging research on metabolic function

5

Circulating levels rise with exercise, studied as an endogenous exercise-related signal

6

Research describes nuclear translocation and the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway

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Circulating levels decline with age in human observational data

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An example of mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde signaling

Mechanism

How MOTS-c is positioned in research

Research describes MOTS-c as part of mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde signaling. Under metabolic stress, it is reported to translocate to the nucleus and interact with the antioxidant response element, associated with the Nrf2 pathway. In skeletal muscle, the literature describes AMPK activation linked to folate-cycle inhibition and AICAR accumulation. Plasma half-life after subcutaneous injection is estimated at 2-4 hours, with transcriptional effects reported to persist longer.

Published research

What the research has explored

MOTS-c was characterized in Cell Metabolism (2015, Lee et al., DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009), which examined diet-induced metabolic changes and insulin sensitivity in mouse models. Observational human data show circulating MOTS-c levels declining with age and rising acutely with exercise. Formal human clinical trials are in progress and have not yet reported results. Preclinical safety observations in mice reported no adverse effects over multi-week dosing.

For research and educational purposes only. References to studies describe published literature and do not constitute medical claims, efficacy guarantees, or treatment recommendations.

Questions people ask

Frequently asked questions

What is MOTS-c?+

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide (MW ~2175 Da) discovered in 2015. It is studied in metabolic research, including AMPK signaling and insulin sensitivity.

Why is it called an exercise-related signal?+

Circulating MOTS-c rises acutely with exercise in human data, and researchers study it as one possible molecular mediator of exercise-associated metabolic effects.

How is MOTS-c stored?+

It is stored lyophilized at -20C, reconstituted with bacteriostatic water or saline, and protected from light due to oxidation-sensitive methionine residues.