Description
MOTS-c (Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA type-c) | 10 mg
Bio Glow Wellness · Research use only
Research use only. Not for human or animal consumption. Bio Glow Wellness supplies this compound to laboratories, universities and independent researchers for in vitro and analytical work. It is not a medicine, a supplement, or a therapeutic product, and it is not sold for any personal use.
About MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a sixteen residue peptide encoded not in the cell nucleus but in mitochondrial DNA, inside a stretch previously assumed to code only for a ribosomal RNA. It belongs to a small class of molecules called mitochondrial derived peptides, which were identified relatively recently and changed how researchers read the mitochondrial genome.
The interest in this compound is as much about where it comes from as what it does. For decades the mitochondrial genome was described as encoding thirteen proteins. The discovery of peptides hidden inside its RNA genes opened a research area that is still young, and MOTS-c is the most studied member of it.
MOTS-c Explained Simply
Read this first. The section below is written in ordinary language so that a non-specialist can follow what this compound is and where it shows up in the scientific record. It is not medical advice, it is not a claim that the compound does anything in a person or an animal, and it is not a protocol. Bio Glow Wellness sells MOTS-c for laboratory research only.
The short version
A sixteen residue peptide encoded inside mitochondrial DNA, studied in metabolic and exercise biology. Supplied as a laboratory research chemical only.
What it actually is
Mitochondria are the compartments inside cells that generate most of a cell’s usable energy, and they carry their own small loop of DNA, separate from the DNA in the nucleus. MOTS-c is read out of a region of that loop that was thought to code only for the machinery of protein assembly. Finding a functional peptide there was a surprise, and much of the published work since has tried to establish what it signals and to what.
Where it turns up in research
- Metabolic research, including glucose handling and insulin signalling in cell and animal models
- AMPK pathway studies, the cellular energy sensing system
- Exercise physiology and skeletal muscle research in animals
- Mitochondrial biology and cellular stress response
- Ageing research, where mitochondrial derived peptides are a current topic
- Folate and one carbon metabolism, a pathway proposed in the original characterization
What the published work shows so far
Published studies in mice and in cultured cells report changes in glucose handling, activation of the AMPK energy sensing pathway, and effects on skeletal muscle and metabolic measures in animals subjected to high fat diets or exercise protocols. Observational human work has examined a genetic variant of the peptide in certain populations. The interventional record is preclinical, and Bio Glow Wellness makes no claim about what this compound does in a person.
Why researchers keep returning to it
It is one of the few known peptides encoded by mitochondrial DNA, which makes it a necessary reagent for anyone studying that class of molecules. It also sits at the intersection of mitochondrial biology and metabolic signalling, two fields that historically did not share tools. Both are statements about research utility.
What nobody can claim about MOTS-c
- It cannot be described as a metabolic treatment, a weight or fitness aid, or a therapy for any condition.
- It cannot be described as an anti-ageing compound. Ageing research is a field of study, not a result.
- Mouse and cell culture findings cannot be restated as human outcomes.
- It cannot be sold or described as a supplement or a drug.
- It is not approved by the FDA for any use.
Where the information above comes from
Identifiers and sequence come from public chemistry references. The research summary describes the general shape of a young and fast moving peer-reviewed literature. Because the field is recent, reading the primary papers matters more here than for older compounds.
Physical and Chemical Data
Reference values for MOTS-c (Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA type-c). Lot-specific results are on the Certificate of Analysis supplied with the batch.
| Molecular formula | C101H152N28O22S2 |
| Molecular weight | 2,174.6 g/mol |
| Chain length | 16 residues |
| Sequence | H-Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg-OH |
| CAS number | 1627580-64-6 |
| Classification | Synthetic mitochondrial derived peptide encoded in the 12S rRNA region of mitochondrial DNA |
| Synonyms | Mitochondrial derived peptide c · MOTSc |
| Appearance | White to off-white lyophilized solid |
| Reported solubility | Reported soluble in water at laboratory working concentrations |
Molecular Design and Stability
The sequence is read from an alternative open reading frame within the 12S ribosomal RNA gene of mitochondrial DNA, using the mitochondrial genetic code, which differs from the nuclear one. Two methionine residues and a cysteine free composition mean the synthetic peptide has no disulphide constraints, but the methionines are the most oxidation prone positions in the chain and are the reason handling notes emphasise sealed, dry storage.
As a freeze-dried solid the peptide is stable under the usual conditions. The two methionine residues are susceptible to oxidation, so exposure to air and moisture matters more here than for peptides without them. Keep the vial sealed until use, reconstitute what the experiment needs, and do not store the material in solution.
Laboratory Applications
Researchers working with this compound have used it to investigate:
- Glucose uptake assays in cultured muscle and adipose cells
- AMPK activation and phosphorylation studies
- Rodent models of diet induced metabolic change
- Exercise and skeletal muscle physiology models in animals
- Mitochondrial stress response experiments
- Sequencing and expression work on mitochondrial derived peptides
These are descriptions of published experimental work. They are not suggestions for what a buyer should do with the material, and they are not evidence of any effect outside the model in which it was observed.
What the Literature Covers
1. A peptide from the mitochondrial genome
The defining fact about this compound is its origin. It is encoded in mitochondrial rather than nuclear DNA, in a region assigned to a ribosomal RNA gene. That finding is what generated the field, and it is why the peptide is studied in laboratories that otherwise have no interest in metabolic signalling.
2. Metabolic signalling
The largest body of published work concerns glucose handling and energy sensing, with the AMPK pathway appearing in most proposed mechanisms. Animal studies have examined metabolic measures under dietary and exercise challenge. This is the best developed thread.
3. Exercise biology
A related cluster of work looks at skeletal muscle and at how levels of the peptide change with physical activity in animal models. The overlap with metabolic research is why the compound appears in both literatures.
4. Population genetics
Some human research has taken an observational rather than interventional form, examining a naturally occurring sequence variant and its distribution in particular populations. Observational genetics is a different kind of evidence from a trial and should not be read as one.
5. A young literature
Mitochondrial derived peptides were described only within the last two decades. The literature is smaller, more recent and less replicated than for the older compounds on this site, and conclusions drawn from it should carry correspondingly less weight.
Batch Documentation
Every shipment is tied to the paperwork for the lot it came from.
- A Certificate of Analysis is supplied for the batch shipped, where one is available for that lot.
- The COA states the analytical methods used and the results for that specific lot. It is the authoritative record for the material in hand.
- Figures on a COA describe one batch only. They are not carried over to other lots and should not be read as a standing specification for the product.
- Testing is performed by an independent third-party analytical laboratory. The laboratory is named on the certificate.
- Published certificates are collected in the Certificate of Analysis library. Our guide to reading a certificate explains what each section reports and what it does not.
Storage and Handling Guidance
General handling practice for lyophilized research peptides:
- Keep the sealed vial cool, dry and out of direct light.
- For anything beyond short-term storage, refrigerate or freeze in line with the handling standard your laboratory already follows for lyophilized material.
- Limit how often a vial is opened and closed. Each cycle exposes the powder to ambient humidity.
- Reconstituted material is generally less stable than the dry powder. Where a study calls for solution, common practice is to aliquot to the working volume rather than store the whole vial in solution.
- Let a refrigerated vial reach room temperature before opening it, so condensation does not form on the contents.
Bio Glow Wellness does not supply reconstitution volumes, concentrations, schedules or any other instruction for administration to a person or an animal. Handling decisions belong to the researcher and to the standards of the facility doing the work.
Common Questions
Can this be used by a person?
No. It is supplied for in vitro laboratory research only. It is not approved for human or veterinary use, it is not a drug or a supplement, and Bio Glow Wellness will not supply it for any other purpose.
What do researchers use MOTS-c for?
It is used in metabolic and mitochondrial research, in studies of the AMPK energy sensing pathway, and in work on the mitochondrial derived peptide class generally. The study design determines the application.
Do you provide dosing or reconstitution instructions?
No. Bio Glow Wellness does not publish dosing, administration or protocol guidance of any kind. Study design, handling and safety practice are the responsibility of the researcher and their institution.
Is a Certificate of Analysis included?
Where one is available for the lot shipped, yes. The COA is specific to that batch and reports the methods run and the results obtained for it. Availability varies by lot.
How is the material supplied?
As a white to off-white lyophilized powder in a sealed vial, labelled with the compound name and the vial size. The milligram figure is the quantity of peptide in the vial. It is not a potency or a dose.
Do you ship internationally?
Orders ship within the United States. Buyers outside the United States are responsible for their own import rules, and orders may be declined where the compound is restricted.
Terms of Sale and Disclaimers
- Sold for laboratory research, analytical and in vitro use only.
- Not for human consumption, not for veterinary use, and not for any form of administration to a living subject.
- Not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
- No statement on this page is a representation that the compound is safe or effective for any use.
- The purchaser is responsible for meeting every federal, state and local requirement that applies to buying, holding, using and disposing of research compounds, and for confirming the compound is lawful in their jurisdiction before ordering.
- By ordering, the purchaser confirms they are a qualified researcher or are buying on behalf of a research organization.
