MOTS-c

About MOTS-c

What is MOTS-c?
Here is something that should not exist according to the central dogma: a peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA that leaves the mitochondria, travels to the nucleus, and directly regulates gene expression. MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide discovered by Changhan David Lee at USC in 2015, and it acts as a retrograde signal — information flowing from the organelle to the genome, backwards from what textbooks describe.

CAS: 1627580-64-6. The first exercise-mimetic peptide of mitochondrial origin. It activates AMPK, the same pathway that exercise engages.

Mechanism of Action

Why it is interesting
Two things. First, the retrograde signaling: MOTS-c is encoded in mitochondrial 12S rRNA, not the nuclear genome. Under metabolic stress, it translocates to the nucleus and directly regulates transcription. This means mitochondria are not just energy factories — they signal to the nucleus, adjusting metabolic gene expression.

Second, the exercise mimicry. MOTS-c activates AMPK by inhibiting de novo purine synthesis, which causes AICAR accumulation — the same endogenous AMPK activator that builds up during exercise. The compound basically trips the same metabolic alarm that physical activity triggers.

Research Overview

Specs

Molecular weight2,174.4 Da
CAS1627580-64-6
Purity≥98% supplier batch spec (99.3% avg across independently tested lots)
FormLyophilized powder
Sizes5mg, 10mg

Storage
Lyophilized at -20°C. Reconstituted: 2-8°C, use within 4 weeks.

Quality
Shipped to a ≥98% supplier batch specification; selected lots are independently tested by Janoshik Analytical (HPLC + mass spectrometry; 99.3% average purity across published reports), searchable by batch code at certapeptides.com/verify. EU QC under CERTALAB S.R.L.

Product Specifications

• Purity: ≥98% (supplier batch spec; 99.3% avg across independently tested lots)
• Form: Lyophilized powder
• SKU: CP-MOT

Selected lots independently tested by Janoshik Analytical, searchable by batch code. View reports →

For research purposes only. Not for human consumption.