MOTS-c

MOTS-c is a sixteen-amino-acid peptide encoded within the 12S rRNA region of the mitochondrial genome — one of the first mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) characterized in the published literature. It was identified in 2015 by Lee and colleagues and is now studied as a representative mitokine: a signaling molecule of mitochondrial origin acting on cellular metabolic pathways.

MOTS-c activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) following one-carbon metabolic stress, with downstream effects on the mTOR axis and gluconeogenic gene expression. In vivo rodent studies have reported improvements in insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility under high-fat diet challenge. Translocation to the nucleus and effects on stress-response gene expression have been reported in cellular models, suggesting a retrograde mitochondrial-to-nuclear signaling role.

Used in metabolic-stress cellular models, AMPK pathway activation assays, insulin sensitivity studies in rodent models, and aging-related metabolism research.

Every batch ships with a third-party Certificate of Analysis documenting identity, lot-specific HPLC purity, mass spectrometry confirmation, and storage conditions. The COA is downloadable from the buyer's account dashboard and QR-linked on the vial label. Purity claims are per lot, not per product — see the FAQ for the framing.

Sold under one of two B2B buyer categories: research institutions for in vitro work under the RUO designation, or licensed 503A compounding pharmacies as an API for patient-specific compounded preparations under USP <797> or <795>. Accounts are manually reviewed; pending accounts cannot place orders or view pricing.

The full regulatory framing, including what we are not (we are not a 503B outsourcing facility and do not compound finished drugs), is in the disclaimer.