MOTS-c
Stocked in 10mg, 20mg, 40mg at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 10mg | MS10 | $25 |
| 20mg | MS20 | $35 |
| 40mg | MS40 | $50 |
Classification
Endogenous mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP)
Structure and chemistry
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide with the sequence Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg. Its name stands for “mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c.” Unusually, it is not encoded in nuclear DNA at all: it comes from a 51-base-pair short open reading frame inside the mitochondrion’s own 12S ribosomal RNA gene. The first eleven residues are highly conserved.
What the published research shows
The research base is preclinical and mechanistic, and substantial in that domain — cell work, mouse metabolic studies, structural and signalling biology, and a growing literature in aging, muscle, bone, immune regulation and oncology. What it does not have is human clinical trial data. FDA has stated it identified no human exposure data for MOTS-c by any route of administration.
Mechanism of action
MOTS-c acts largely through AMPK. It inhibits the folate cycle and the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway tethered to it, which causes a large accumulation of endogenous AICAR — reported as more than a twenty-fold increase — and AICAR in turn activates AMPK. Its primary target organ appears to be skeletal muscle. Later work showed that under metabolic stress MOTS-c translocates into the cell nucleus and binds the transcription factor NRF2, directly regulating nuclear gene expression — a genuine example of the mitochondrion signalling back to the nucleus.
Development history
MOTS-c was not designed or engineered. It was found by computational search: after humanin became the first known mitochondrial-derived peptide, researchers ran an in silico search for further short open reading frames within the mitochondrial genome and identified this one, then confirmed the peptide exists in tissues and in circulation.
Current regulatory status
MOTS-c is not approved by any regulator for any indication and has no completed human clinical trials. MOTS-c was nominated to FDA’s bulk drug substances list for pharmacy compounding; the nomination was withdrawn. Note that the same catalog carries AICAR separately; MOTS-c and AICAR are mechanistically linked, since MOTS-c works substantially by raising endogenous AICAR levels.
Analytical testing
Identity should be confirmed by mass spectrometry against a certified reference standard. Note the two methionine residues, which are oxidation-prone; oxidized variants are a realistic impurity class that an HPLC purity figure may not adequately characterize.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.