MOTS-C
A mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA. A subject of metabolic-signalling research.
- Also known as
- Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c
- Molecular formula
- C101H152N28O22S2
- CAS number
- 1627580-64-6
- Form supplied
- Lyophilised powder, sealed vial
What has been published on MOTS-C
MOTS-c is one of a small group of mitochondrial-derived peptides — short peptides encoded within mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome. It was first described in 2015, which makes it the newest compound in this catalogue and the one where the literature is still actively forming.
Lines of investigation in the literature
- AMPK signalling. The central mechanistic thread, examining activation of the cellular energy-sensing pathway.
- Metabolic models. Mouse work on insulin sensitivity, glucose handling and diet-induced obesity.
- Exercise physiology. Studies examining circulating levels in response to exercise in humans — observational rather than interventional.
- Mitochondrial-nuclear communication. Work on the peptide as a signalling molecule between the two genomes, which is the reason it attracted attention in the first place.
What the literature does not establish
The field is roughly a decade old. Human data is largely correlational — measuring what the body produces, not what happens when it is administered. Mechanistic interest is high and clinical evidence is essentially absent, and those two facts are frequently conflated in secondary sources.
Summaries of published research, provided as context for laboratory work. Findings described are from in-vitro and animal models unless stated otherwise, and nothing here is evidence of any effect in humans or a basis for use in any living subject.