MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide with an unusual origin: it is encoded within mitochondrial DNA, in a short open reading frame inside the 12S rRNA gene, rather than in the nuclear genome like almost every other peptide in this catalogue.
Why the origin matters
Mitochondria were once free-living bacteria and retain their own small genome. For decades that genome was assumed to encode only components of the respiratory chain. The discovery of mitochondrial-derived peptides — of which MOTS-c is the best studied — showed the mitochondrion also issues signalling molecules that act on the rest of the cell.
That reframes the organelle from a passive power plant into something that reports its own state outward.
Mechanism
MOTS-c activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the cell’s principal energy sensor. AMPK activation shifts metabolism toward catabolic, ATP-generating pathways and away from anabolic consumption. MOTS-c has also been described translocating to the nucleus under metabolic stress, where it influences transcription of adaptive genes.
Research context
Work has centred on metabolic regulation, insulin sensitivity and exercise physiology in preclinical models. Human data is limited, and observational work associating circulating MOTS-c levels with metabolic status should not be read as demonstrating that supplementing it produces those states.
Supplied lyophilised. See our reconstitution protocol for handling technique and diluent selection.
Every batch ships with a third-party certificate of analysis. View MOTS-c and its current COA.
Research use only
Isla Longevity supplies this compound for laboratory research use only. It is not approved by the FDA for human or veterinary use and is not for human consumption. This article summarises published research and is not medical guidance.
