MOTS-c

MOTS-c is a small peptide (a chain of 16 amino acids) that is unusual because its instructions are stored inside the mitochondria — the tiny "power plants" inside cells that have their own small set of genes. It is studied as a mitochondria-made controller of metabolism, exercise, and aging.

How it works

Research reported that MOTS-c does not use a normal surface receptor. Instead, it works by tapping into how cells sense their energy state: it slows a chemical loop called the folate cycle and the making of new purines (building blocks of DNA and energy molecules). This raises a signal molecule (AICAR) that switches on AMPK, a master "energy-sensor" enzyme in cells [1]. When the cell is under energy stress, MOTS-c has been reported to move into the cell's nucleus (its control center) and help adjust which genes are active, in a way that depends on AMPK [2].

What researchers have studied it for (mitochondria and metabolism)

The peptide was first described in a study reporting that MOTS-c helped keep metabolism balanced and reduced obesity and insulin resistance (when the body responds poorly to insulin) in mice, including protecting against insulin resistance caused by aging and a high-fat diet [1]. Reviews sum up its role in controlling how muscle and fat use energy [3].

Exercise and aging research

A study reported that MOTS-c is switched on by exercise and helps control age-related physical decline and muscle upkeep, and that giving it on and off late in life raised physical ability in old mice [4]. In people, that same work reported that exercise raised the body's own MOTS-c in muscle and blood [4]. These are results from animals and from measuring levels in the body.

What the research hasn't shown yet

The evidence comes from cells, rodents, and measurements of natural MOTS-c levels in people. Whether giving MOTS-c helps, and whether it is safe or works, in people is not established. This peptide is supplied for laboratory research use only and is not meant for use in people or animals.

Laboratory handling typically involves reconstituting the lyophilized MOTS-c peptide with bacteriostatic or sterile water using gentle mixing. Store the lyophilized powder at -20°C, keep reconstituted solution at 2-8°C, protect from light, and minimize freeze-thaw cycles to preserve stability.