Metabolic
Series

MOTS-C — 10 mg

MOTS-c (Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA Type-C) is a 16-amino acid peptide encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Discovered in 2015, it represents a novel class of mitochondrial-derived peptides with implications for metabolic research.

• A landmark study published in Nature Communications (Reynolds et al., 2021) demonstrated that MOTS-c is an exercise-induced peptide that significantly enhanced physical performance in young, middle-aged, and old mice, with late-life treatment increasing physical capacity and healthspan markers.
• Research in Cell Metabolism (Lee et al., 2015) showed that MOTS-c targets skeletal muscle and enhances glucose metabolism, with implications for obesity, diabetes, and longevity research.
• Studies documented in Diabetes & Metabolism Journal showed that plasma MOTS-c levels decline with age in humans, and that exercise considerably raises endogenous MOTS-c levels in skeletal muscle and circulation.
• A 2023 review in Frontiers in Physiology documented MOTS-c's role in regulating stress adaptation, energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and aging-related physiological processes through the Folate-AICAR-AMPK pathway.

MOTS-c is proposed to act through the Folate-AICAR-AMPK pathway, translocating to the nucleus during metabolic stress to regulate expression of genes with antioxidant response elements.

• Reynolds JC, et al. MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline. Nat Commun. 2021;12:470.PMID: 33473105
• Lee C, et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis. Cell Metab. 2015;21(3):443-454.PMID: 25738459
• Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c: effects and mechanisms related to stress, metabolism and aging.PMID: PMC9854231