MOTS-c

$60.00

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene. It was discovered in 2015 and is highly conserved across species, detectable in various tissues and in circulation. Unlike nuclear-encoded peptides, MOTS-c is translated in the cytoplasm after its polyadenylated transcript is exported from the mitochondria, allowing it to act as a retrograde signaling molecule from the mitochondria to the nucleus.

MOTS-c functions primarily as a metabolic regulator that mimics the effects of exercise and caloric restriction. Its best-characterized mechanism involves targeting the folate-methionine cycle and the tethered de novo purine biosynthesis pathway, leading to accumulation of the endogenous AMP analog AICAR, which subsequently activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Through AMPK activation, MOTS-c modulates glucose utilization and fatty acid metabolism, with skeletal muscle appearing as a key target tissue. It induces cellular and systemic glucose uptake, improves insulin sensitivity, and has been shown to prevent diet-induced obesity in preclinical models. The peptide also exerts anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the MAP kinase-c-fos signaling pathway.