Peptide Central
What MOTS-c is, how it is classified, its development status, and what published research does and does not establish.
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA rather than in the nuclear genome. The name abbreviates "mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c": the short reading frame inside the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene from which the peptide is translated. It was first reported in 2015 by Lee and colleagues at the University of Southern California.
That origin is the useful identity fact. Most peptides in this catalogue are synthetic analogues or fragments of nuclear-encoded proteins. MOTS-c belongs to a small group called mitochondrial-derived peptides, which are produced from the organelle's own genome.
"MOTS-c", "MOTS c" and "MOTSc" are spellings of one sequence: Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg, roughly 2,174.6 Da (CAS 1627580-64-6). The "-c" is part of the name, not a variant suffix.
A single-chain linear peptide. It is not a blend, not a fragment cut from a larger nuclear protein, and not a licensed medicine.
Mitochondria carry their own small genome, separate from the nuclear one. A peptide translated from it sits outside the usual picture of nuclear genes producing proteins that are then trimmed. For a reader, this is mainly a naming and classification point: MOTS-c is a native sequence with a defined genetic origin, which is different from a designed analogue.
Lyophilised powder in a single-compound vial, listed on the MOTS-c 10mg product page.
MOTS-c is an investigational research compound. It is not a licensed medicine in the United Kingdom, and nothing on this page implies availability for human use. The catalogue item is a laboratory reagent, supplied for non-clinical in-vitro research only.
Every finding below is labelled by model. None is a demonstrated human outcome.
The 2015 founding report combined cell experiments with studies in mice. In those models skeletal muscle appeared to be the main target tissue, and the cellular effects were linked to the folate cycle and AMPK signalling. Later rodent work applies the peptide to further metabolic and exercise models.
Cell and rodent findings establish behaviour in that species and system. They do not predict the same behaviour in people, and reported effect sizes depend heavily on the strain, diet and protocol used.
Human data are largely observational. A 2021 review (Woodhead and Merry) summarises reports that concentrations of endogenous MOTS-c in skeletal muscle and plasma change after acute high-intensity exercise. Measuring a naturally occurring peptide is evidence about biology, not about a supplied research material.
A batch certificate reports the identity and measured purity of the particular batch tested. It says nothing about biological effect and does not extend to other batches. The product record lists batch 100242; check the COA library for a published report against that batch number before relying on any figure.
The guides to reading a peptide COA and understanding HPLC purity explain what those documents can and cannot show. For the wider group of compounds studied around mitochondrial function, see the mitochondrial category and the MOTS-c buying guide.
Materials sold on this site are supplied solely for non-clinical in-vitro laboratory research. They must not be ingested, injected, inhaled, applied or otherwise administered to a human or animal.
We do not provide dosing, routes of administration, treatment guidance, cosmetic-use guidance or in-vivo protocols. Preparation, storage and handling must follow a validated institutional SOP, the material documentation and an appropriate risk assessment.
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Site materials are supplied solely for non-clinical in-vitro laboratory research. They must not be used in or on humans or animals. We do not provide dosing, routes of administration, treatment, cosmetic-use or in-vivo guidance. Read the legal and research-use terms.
