Energy and aging main

For research use only.

MOTS-c

Mitochondrial-derived peptide · 16 amino acids
What it is

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, and in mice it acts mainly on skeletal muscle to support metabolic balance.[1]

Origin: First described in 2015 by Lee, Cohen, and colleagues, who found this mitochondrial open reading frame peptide and named it MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c).[1]

What researchers study it for

Research areas

Most treatment findings so far come from cells and mice.[1] Human papers mostly track the body’s own MOTS-c during exercise or look at gene variants, not research MOTS-c given as a product.[2][3]

  • In mice, MOTS-c improved metabolic balance and reduced obesity and insulin resistance on a high-fat diet[1]
  • Under metabolic stress, MOTS-c can move into the cell nucleus and help regulate nuclear gene expression[4]
  • Late-life treatment in mice raised physical capacity and measures of healthspan[2]
  • In people, exercise raises endogenous MOTS-c in muscle and in blood[2]
  • A mitochondrial DNA variant in the MOTS-c region has been linked to exceptional longevity in a Northeast Asian population[3]

Evidence level

Level 1 of 4: Lab and animal onlyFDA has not identified any human exposure data on drug products containing MOTS-c by any route.[5]

Why so few human trials?

Cautions

Studies and regulators point to several reasons for care.

  • FDA has not found any human exposure data, so it lacks the information to know whether MOTS-c would harm people[5]
  • Most treatment results come from mice, so human benefit from administered MOTS-c is not established[1][2]
  • MOTS-c is not FDA approved[5]

Also called

MOTS-c goes by several names.

  • Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c[1]
  • Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c[1]
  • MOTs-C, a spelling used on some FDA pages[5]

Often stacked with

SS-31. SS-31 and MOTS-c are paired because they work on mitochondria, the cell’s energy makers, in two different ways: SS-31 protects the inner membrane where energy is made, and MOTS-c is a messenger that mitochondria send out to the rest of the cell.[1][4][6]

SS-31Together:StackSS-31 →

Good to know

MOTS-c is one of the rare peptides written in mitochondrial DNA, not in the nuclear genome most textbooks focus on.[1]

Handling

Storage basics General

These general basics apply to most freeze-dried research peptides.

Most research peptides come as a freeze-dried powder in a sealed vial
Unmixed vials are generally kept cold, dry, and away from light
Mixed solutions are generally refrigerated, since they are less stable than the dry powder
Peptides 101For mixing basicsNPL Dose CalculatorTo work out concentration after mixing
Go deeper

Sources and studies

These studies and official pages are the research behind this profile.