53-84-9
Most orderedNAD+
The oxidised pyridine dinucleotide cofactor, supplied lyophilised for redox, sirtuin and PARP work. Released at ≥ 98.0% by HPLC.
Typical release98.8%
From
£42.00
In stock
Mitochondrial & LongevityMost ordered
MOTS-c
Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c · MOTSc · MOTS-c peptide
A 16-residue mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded in mtDNA. Supplied lyophilised, released at ≥ 99.0% by RP-HPLC.
Total, ex VAT
£86.00
- Released at ≥ 99.0% (RP-HPLC, area %)
- Identity confirmed by ESI-MS against theoretical mass
- Batch certificate matched to the vial, verifiable online
- Same working day dispatch before 14:00, tracked
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a medicine, food or cosmetic. Sold to qualified researchers and institutions who accept responsibility for safe handling and lawful use.
Compound data
What is in the vial
Indicative values for this line. The certificate issued with your batch is the authoritative record and reports the measured figures for the material you receive.
- CAS number
- 1627580-64-6
- Molecular formula
- C101H152N28O22S2
- Average mass
- 2174.62 g/mol
- Sequence
- MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
- Residues
- 16
- Class
- Mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP)
- Form as supplied
- Lyophilised powder
- Appearance
- White lyophilised powder
- Purity specification
- ≥ 99.0% (RP-HPLC, area %)
- Solubility
- Readily soluble in sterile or bacteriostatic water. Contains two methionine residues and is oxidation-sensitive in solution.
- Storage
- Lyophilised: −20 °C, desiccated and dark. Reconstituted: 2–8 °C, protected from air.
Targets and pathways
- AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling
- Folate–methionine one-carbon cycle
- Mitonuclear retrograde signalling
Overview
About MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a 16-residue peptide encoded not in the nuclear genome but within the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene — one of a small set of mitochondrial-derived peptides that upended the assumption that mtDNA encodes only respiratory-chain subunits and RNA machinery. Its identification in 2015 gave the field a concrete molecule for studying how mitochondria signal outward to the rest of the cell.
Mechanistically it is studied as a regulator of the folate-methionine one-carbon cycle. Interference with that cycle causes AICAR to accumulate, and AICAR is an endogenous AMPK activator — which places MOTS-c upstream of a metabolic sensor rather than acting directly on it. Under metabolic stress the peptide has also been shown to translocate to the nucleus and associate with stress-responsive transcription factors, making it a working example of retrograde mitonuclear communication.
Two methionine residues sit in the sequence, and both are oxidation-prone. Methionine sulfoxide formation is the single most common reason a MOTS-c preparation drifts off specification, and it appears on RP-HPLC as a new peak eluting slightly ahead of the parent. Ryzen holds material under inert atmosphere and releases against a ≥ 99.0% area-percent specification with the oxidised species reported separately where detected.
In short
- Encoded within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA open reading frame, not the nuclear genome
- Studied as an upstream regulator of the folate–methionine cycle and AMPK activation
- 16 residues, two oxidation-sensitive methionines — handled and packed under inert atmosphere
- Released at ≥ 99.0% area-percent by RP-HPLC with oxidised species reported where present
- Widely used as a reference peptide in mitonuclear signalling and exercise-biology models
Where it is used
Research applications
Mitonuclear signalling
MOTS-c is the standard tool for studying retrograde communication — how mitochondrial state is reported to nuclear transcription — because it is a discrete, synthesisable molecule rather than a diffuse metabolic signal.
One-carbon metabolism
Work on the folate–methionine cycle uses MOTS-c to perturb purine biosynthesis and observe the downstream AICAR accumulation that follows, linking a mitochondrial peptide to a nuclear-encoded metabolic sensor.
Skeletal muscle and exercise biology
Endogenous MOTS-c rises with exercise in several models, and the peptide is used in studies of substrate utilisation, glucose uptake and physical performance in muscle preparations.
Insulin sensitivity models
The peptide is used in diet-induced insulin resistance models to characterise the relationship between mitochondrial signalling and peripheral glucose handling.
Ageing and healthspan
Circulating MOTS-c declines with age in several species, and the peptide appears frequently in work on mitochondrial contributions to cellular ageing.
Handling
Reconstitution and stability
Reconstitution
Add diluent slowly against the vial wall and allow the powder to go into solution unaided. MOTS-c dissolves quickly and does not need warming. Minimise headspace and time-in-air once open: the methionine residues oxidise on exposure, and each opening of a working vial costs measurable purity.
Stability
Lyophilised and stored at −20 °C, desiccated and dark, material is stable for at least 24 months. In solution at 2–8 °C, use within 14 days — shorter than most peptides in the catalogue, because of the oxidation risk. Aliquot at first reconstitution rather than drawing repeatedly from one vial.
Notes
- If a working solution must be held longer than two weeks, aliquot and freeze at −80 °C; a single freeze-thaw is preferable to repeated air exposure.
- Purge headspace with nitrogen or argon if your facility is set up for it. This measurably extends solution life.
- A new peak eluting just before the parent on RP-HPLC is almost always methionine sulfoxide, not contamination.
- Avoid alkaline diluents, which accelerate oxidation.
Laboratory reference
Reconstitution calculator
Enter the fill weight on the vial and the diluent volume you intend to add. The calculator returns the resulting solution concentration and the volume that contains a given mass.
- Concentration
- 5.000 mg/mL · 5000 µg/mL
- Volume containing target mass
- 50.0 µL · 0.0500 mL
Figures are mass-to-volume arithmetic for laboratory preparation of MOTS-c and take no account of net peptide content, which is stated on the batch certificate and should be applied to the fill weight before calculating. Nothing here constitutes dosing, administration or clinical guidance of any kind.
Published work
What the literature reports
Summaries of published findings, provided as research reference. These describe work done by others in preclinical and clinical settings; they are not claims about this material or outcomes for any reader.
Identification and metabolic characterisation
The founding paper identified MOTS-c as a peptide encoded in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA region, showed it regulates the folate–methionine cycle with downstream AICAR accumulation and AMPK activation, and reported improved insulin sensitivity in diet-induced obese mice.
Lee et al., Cell Metabolism, 2015
Nuclear translocation under stress
Metabolic stress was shown to drive MOTS-c into the nucleus, where it associates with stress-responsive transcription factors and regulates a set of nuclear genes with antioxidant response elements — direct evidence of mitonuclear retrograde signalling.
Kim et al., Cell Metabolism, 2018
Physical performance and healthspan
Treatment in mice was associated with improved physical performance across young, middle-aged and old cohorts, and with changes in skeletal muscle gene expression consistent with an exercise-associated programme.
Reynolds et al., Nature Communications, 2021
Age-related decline in circulating levels
Several groups have reported that circulating MOTS-c falls with age and varies with metabolic status, which underpins its use as a candidate biomarker as well as a research tool.
Multiple cohorts, reviewed in Kim & Lee, Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism
Questions
MOTS-c — asked and answered
Something not covered here? Ask us directly — technical questions reach someone who runs the assays.
- Why is the solution shelf life shorter than other peptides?
- MOTS-c contains two methionine residues, and methionine oxidises readily in aerated aqueous solution. We specify 14 days at 2–8 °C rather than the 28 days typical elsewhere in the catalogue because that is where our own stability data holds within specification.
- What is the extra peak on my chromatogram?
- A peak eluting shortly before the parent is almost always methionine sulfoxide — the singly oxidised species. It is a degradation product, not a synthesis impurity, and it grows with air exposure and time in solution. Our certificates report it separately where detected at release.
- Is MOTS-c a peptide or a hormone?
- It is a peptide. It is sometimes described as a mitochondrial hormone because it is secreted and acts at a distance, but for procurement and handling purposes it behaves as a short synthetic peptide.
- What sequence do you supply?
- MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, the full 16-residue sequence with free N and C termini, unmodified. Identity is confirmed by ESI-MS against a theoretical average mass of 2174.62 g/mol on every batch.
- Do you supply larger quantities?
- Yes. Beyond the 5 × 10 mg pack we quote on request for bulk and for custom fill weights. Trade accounts see tiered pricing from the first order.
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Important
MOTS-c is supplied strictly for laboratory research and analytical use. It is not a medicine, food, cosmetic or veterinary product; it is not for human or animal consumption; and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. It is not manufactured, tested or released to any standard that would support administration to humans or animals. Information on this page is compiled for research reference and is not medical advice. No dosing, administration or therapeutic guidance is given or implied. By ordering you confirm you are a qualified researcher or institution and accept responsibility for safe handling and lawful use.