Free 24-hour delivery over £75 · Same-day despatchOrder before 2pm - same-day despatch · Free 24-hour delivery over £75
Research use only
All lyophilised (powdered) products and any related items sold by Kovalabs are strictly for scientific research purposes. No dosing guidelines are supplied with any product. We comply with all local regulations governing research-only sales within the United Kingdom. We are not a pharmacy and do not endorse, offer, or provide advice for human or animal consumption. International customers are responsible for checking their own local laws and regulations before purchasing.
You must be 18 or over and purchasing for scientific research only.
By clicking ‘I agree’ you confirm you have read and accepted the terms set out in this disclaimer.
Research use only
· 7 min read
For most of the twentieth century the mitochondrial genome was treated as a stripped-down housekeeping document - thirteen protein-coding genes, twenty-two transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNA genes, and very little else worth annotating. Then in 2015 a laboratory at USC reported finding a short open reading frame hidden inside the 12S ribosomal RNA gene and, more to the point, a 16-amino-acid peptide actually translated from it. The peptide is MOTS-c. Its existence suggests the mitochondrial genome has been producing its own signalling molecules all along, largely unnoticed. Supplied by Kovalabs strictly as a research reagent; everything below describes what published studies have investigated, not any human use.
| Compound | MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c) |
|---|---|
| Synonyms / class | Mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP); AMPK pathway-associated 16-amino-acid peptide |
| Sequence | Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg (MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR) |
| Molecular formula | C101H152N28O22S2 |
| Molecular weight | 2174.6 g/mol (average); monoisotopic mass 2173.11 |
| CAS number | 1627580-64-6 |
| PubChem CID | 146675088 |
| UNII | A5CV6JFB78 |
| Status | Research use only; not for human or veterinary use |
MOTS-c belongs to the cellular research pathway category, grouped here by its molecular origin and AMPK-linked signalling pharmacology rather than by any indication. The identity was cross-checked so that the compound name, CAS number and structural record all resolve to the same molecule before any identifiers appeared on a product page.
PubChem holds three records that researchers looking up MOTS-c are likely to encounter. The canonical one - CID 146675088 - carries the stereodefined L,L peptide sequence MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR (16 residues), the molecular formula C101H152N28O22S2, an average molecular weight of 2174.6 g/mol, and CAS 1627580-64-6. The CAS resolves back to CID 146675088, anchoring name, registry number and structure to a single entity. Two related records also exist: a stereochemistry-unspecified variant (CID 155885767) and a separate connectivity record labelled MOTS-c Peptide (CID 176489569). Neither was used as the canonical identity here. If a database search returns CID 155885767 rather than 146675088, it has delivered a different chemical entity - the stereochemistry is not specified and the record should not be cited as if it were the same molecule. The formula C101H152N28O22S2 is internally consistent with a 16-mer carrying two methionine residues, which accounts for the two sulphur atoms (S2). Batch identity should always be confirmed against the supplied certificate of analysis.
| Peptide | Mitochondrial origin | Residues | Reported signalling association (grouping basis) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOTS-c | Short open reading frame within the 12S rRNA region | 16 | AMPK pathway-associated; mitonuclear signalling |
| Humanin | Short open reading frame within the 16S rRNA region | 21 (mitochondrial) or 24 (cytosolic isoform) | First-described mitochondrial-derived peptide; cytoprotective-signalling literature |
Lee et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2015; PMID 25738459) identified the 12S rRNA short open reading frame and characterised the peptide in HEK293 and HeLa cell lines alongside C57BL/6 and ICR mouse models. The investigated endpoints were cellular flux through the folate-methionine one-carbon cycle and its tethered de novo purine biosynthesis pathway, with downstream activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The metabolic-homeostasis readouts were examined in mice under high-fat-diet and age-dependent conditions. That work established the AMPK-linked framing that the subsequent literature builds on; no human outcome arises from an in-vitro and rodent characterisation study.
A second mechanistic layer was added by Kim et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2018; PMID 29983246), who modelled metabolic stress by glucose restriction in HEK293 and HepG2 cell lines and observed that MOTS-c translocates to the nucleus in an AMPK-dependent manner. The endpoints were ARE-gene expression and interaction with the stress-responsive transcription factor NFE2L2/NRF2. The interest here lies in the framing: a peptide whose coding sequence sits in mitochondrial DNA travelling to the nuclear compartment in response to a metabolic cue is a reasonably striking observation about organellar communication, whatever the downstream biology turns out to mean. These are descriptions of what the studies investigated at the pathway level only.
Each study below is indexed in PubMed and is described strictly by design and the names of the endpoints measured. None is cited for any effect, benefit or human outcome. These records are listed as research context only.
MOTS-c is typically supplied as a lyophilised white powder in a sealed vial. Before opening, allow a refrigerated or frozen vial to reach room temperature so that atmospheric moisture does not condense onto the cold powder and cause clumping or a mass-reading error - a small step that pays for itself at the weighing stage. Reconstitution follows the same approach as other 16-mer research peptides: introduce an appropriate laboratory solvent down the inner glass wall rather than directly onto the powder and allow the solid to dissolve without vigorous agitation. The reconstituted solution is used within a defined working window for analysis; see the reconstitution guide for the general laboratory workflow. None of this is a preparation method for any use in humans or animals.
For longer-term storage, lyophilised peptide is kept desiccated, dark and frozen (around -20 C, or colder), with reconstituted solution held at 2-8 C and aliquoted where repeated access is needed to minimise freeze-thaw cycles. Solution stability should be confirmed per laboratory rather than assumed from published estimates.
The quality documentation worth verifying is a per-batch certificate of analysis confirming identity by mass spectrometry against the expected monoisotopic mass (approximately 2173.11, consistent with C101H152N28O22S2) and chromatographic purity by reversed-phase HPLC. Research-grade material is commonly specified at 98% purity or higher. Net peptide content, counter-ion or salt form (a trifluoroacetate salt form appears among the PubChem synonyms) and water content all affect the true mass of peptide per vial and are worth checking before any concentration calculation.
Worth being honest about the tiers. Tier one, the well-established part: MOTS-c is a real, endogenous 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded within the 12S rRNA region, with a stereodefined structure, formula C101H152N28O22S2 and a CAS number that resolve to a single PubChem entity - the chemistry is solid. Tier two, the middle ground: the AMPK-linked mechanism, nuclear translocation and the various pathway endpoints rest on in-vitro cell lines and rodent models, and a cell in a dish is not a person. Tier three, the weakest part: the single human study (Ramanjaneya et al., 2019) merely measured endogenous circulating peptide; nobody was administered MOTS-c, so interventional human evidence is effectively absent. It is not a licensed medicine, and it has not been shown to produce defined outcomes in humans. Curiosity is warranted; certainty is not.
MOTS-c is supplied by Kovalabs strictly for laboratory research use. It is not a medicine, supplement or cosmetic, and it is not for human or veterinary use, administration or consumption. Nothing in this post constitutes medical, clinical or dosing advice, and no therapeutic or performance outcome is stated or implied. It has not been evaluated by the MHRA or any comparable regulator for safety or efficacy in humans or animals. Every batch is third-party tested with a certificate of analysis. Please read the full research disclaimer before purchase. For a mechanistically distinct compound studied on an overlapping cellular pathway, see NAD+.
MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c) is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded by a short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA region. Its verified sequence is MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR. It is supplied for research use only and is not for human or veterinary use.
PubChem CID 146675088, CAS 1627580-64-6, molecular formula C101H152N28O22S2 and average molecular weight 2174.6 g/mol (monoisotopic mass 2173.11). The name, CID and CAS were cross-checked to resolve to the same 16-amino-acid peptide. PubChem also holds related records at CID 155885767 (stereochemistry-unspecified) and CID 176489569 (connectivity record); neither is the canonical identity. Always confirm batch identity against the supplied certificate of analysis.
Published in-vitro and animal studies characterise MOTS-c as an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway-associated peptide. Reported mechanistic endpoints include AMPK activation, the folate-methionine one-carbon cycle, and AMPK-dependent nuclear translocation with association to antioxidant-response-element genes and NFE2L2/NRF2. These are pathway descriptions only; no effect is asserted.
One PubMed-confirmed human study (Ramanjaneya et al., 2019; PMID 31066084) measured circulating endogenous MOTS-c in plasma by ELISA using a hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp with intralipid or saline infusion. The peptide was measured rather than administered, making this an observational measurement design; the endpoint was plasma MOTS-c level. It is not an interventional efficacy study and no treatment outcome arises.
Lyophilised peptide is stored desiccated, dark and frozen (around -20 C) in sealed packaging, equilibrated to room temperature before opening, and reconstituted with an appropriate laboratory solvent run down the vial wall without vigorous agitation. Reconstituted solution is held at 2-8 C with minimal freeze-thaw cycles. These are laboratory-handling notes only, not administration or dosing guidance. See the reconstitution guide for the full workflow.
Both MOTS-c and humanin belong to the mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) class. Both arise from short open reading frames within the mitochondrial genome: humanin from the 16S rRNA region and MOTS-c from the 12S rRNA region. The grouping is by molecular origin and signalling pathway, not by any indication.