MOTS-c:
A Research
Overview
MOTS-c is a peptide of sixteen amino acids encoded within mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome. It belongs to the small class of mitochondrial-derived peptides and appears in research on AMPK signalling and cellular metabolic regulation. Supplied for research use only.
What MOTS-c is
MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the twelve-S rRNA type-c) is a peptide of sixteen amino acids. Its defining and unusual feature is its origin: it is encoded within mitochondrial DNA, not the nuclear genome that encodes the vast majority of the body's proteins. It belongs to a small class of molecules described in the literature as mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs).
It is supplied as a lyophilised powder for laboratory use.
Background and discovery
MOTS-c is a comparatively recent discovery, first described in the scientific literature in 2015. It is studied as an example of the mitochondrial genome encoding a signalling peptide — a finding of interest because it points to communication between the mitochondria and the rest of the cell that does not run through the nuclear genome.
It holds no marketing authorisation and has not been evaluated for safety or efficacy in humans. The research described below is laboratory and animal-model research.
Areas of research interest
Research involving MOTS-c concentrates on cellular energy regulation and mitochondrial signalling:
- AMPK pathway signalling — AMP-activated protein kinase, a central regulator of cellular energy, is the pathway most associated with MOTS-c in the literature.
- Metabolic regulation models — laboratory systems used to study energy metabolism.
- Mitochondrial-nuclear communication — how signals originating in the mitochondria influence the wider cell.
These describe research themes, not established effects in people.
Research context
MOTS-c is studied alongside other mitochondrial-derived peptides, such as humanin, as part of an emerging field examining what the mitochondrial genome encodes. The product listing gives the specification and batch certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
MOTS-c is a peptide of sixteen amino acids encoded within mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome. It belongs to the class of mitochondrial-derived peptides. It is supplied as a lyophilised powder for laboratory research use only.
MOTS-c was first described in the scientific literature in 2015. It is studied as an example of a signalling peptide encoded by the mitochondrial genome rather than the nuclear genome.
In the research literature MOTS-c is most associated with the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) pathway, a central regulator of cellular energy, along with mitochondrial-nuclear signalling. These are areas of laboratory research, not effects established in humans.