Peptides

MOTS-C

Name: MOTS-C 10mg
Brand: UK Peptide Lab
SKU: UKPL-839
Price: 24.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

10mg

16 amino acid mitochondrial-derived peptide. Metabolic research compound.

£24.99In Stock

98.46% purity · Third-party tested · Batch UKPL-217 · View certificate

Size

10mg£24.99£2.50/mg 40mg£69.99£1.75/mg

Quantity

Same-day dispatch before 3pm, Mon to Fri
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Research use only. For in-vitro laboratory research. Not for use in humans or animals, or in food, drugs or diagnostics. Not evaluated by the MHRA or FDA. The buyer is responsible for handling and regulatory compliance.

Bulk Pricing

Counted across your basket, any mix of products.

Vials in basket	Discount	Per vial
1	None	£24.99
3-4	5%	£23.74save £1.25
5-9	8%	£22.99save £2.00
10-50	12%	£21.99save £3.00

Don't Forget

Bacteriostatic Water 10ml

Required to reconstitute lyophilised peptides.

£4.99

What is MOTS-C?

MOTS-C, also written MOTS-c or MOTS c, is a 16 amino acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, within the 12S rRNA gene. It is studied in metabolic and mitochondrial research, mainly for AMPK signalling. We supply it as lyophilised powder in 10mg and 40mg vials.

Full description

The sequence is MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR. The formula is C₁₀₁H₁₅₂N₂₈O₂₂S₂, the molecular weight 2174.5 g/mol and the CAS number 1627580-64-6. The name stands for mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c. Lee and colleagues (Cell Metab, 2015) found it after humanin, the first signalling peptide mapped to a short open reading frame in mitochondrial DNA.

MOTS-C Research Applications

Mechanism: MOTS-c inhibits the folate cycle and its tethered de novo purine synthesis, leading to AMPK activation. Skeletal muscle appears to be its main target (Lee et al., 2015).
Rodent metabolism: in mice, MOTS-c prevented age-dependent and high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance, and diet-induced obesity (Lee et al., 2015).
Nuclear signalling: after glucose restriction it moves into the nucleus in an AMPK-dependent way and regulates genes with antioxidant response elements, interacting with NRF2 (Kim et al., 2018).
Exercise: in humans, exercise raised endogenous MOTS-c in skeletal muscle and in circulation (Reynolds et al., Nat Commun, 2021).

Study details

Typical designs look at AMPK signalling, folate cycle and purine synthesis flux, skeletal muscle metabolism and mitochondrial-to-nuclear signalling, in cell and rodent models.

MOTS-C vs Humanin and the Mitochondrial Derived Peptide Family

Both are encoded inside mitochondrial DNA, not the nuclear genome. Humanin, a 24 residue peptide from the 16S rRNA region, was found first and is studied mainly for cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic signalling. MOTS-C comes from the 12S rRNA region and acts through the folate cycle and AMPK. Choose MOTS-C for metabolic regulation or mitochondrial-nuclear signalling, and humanin for cytoprotection.

Research Overview

MOTS-C is a 16 amino acid mitochondrial derived peptide encoded by a short open reading frame within the 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1) region of mitochondrial DNA, with the sequence Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg (MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR). The name abbreviates mitochondrial open reading frame of the twelve S rRNA type-c, and the compound appears in most primary literature as MOTS-c. It was characterised by Lee and colleagues in Cell Metabolism in 2015, which identified the coding sORF as a 51 base pair frame carrying a strong Kozak sequence and reported skeletal muscle as the apparent primary target tissue. At the time of that paper, humanin was the only other peptide whose short open reading frame had been mapped to the mitochondrial genome, making MOTS-C the second characterised member of the mitochondrial derived peptide (MDP) family and the first assigned a defined metabolic mechanism. Mechanistically, MOTS-C acts on the folate-methionine cycle and the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway tethered to it. Metabolomic and microarray profiling showed depletion of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and methionine with a corresponding rise in homocysteine, blockade of de novo purine synthesis, and accumulation of endogenous AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide), an AMP mimetic that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). MOTS-C therefore functions as a retrograde mitochondrial-to-nuclear signalling molecule rather than a classical cell-surface receptor ligand. Kim et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2018) demonstrated that under metabolic stress such as glucose restriction, MOTS-C translocates from its extranuclear pool into the nucleus, co-precipitates with NRF2, and binds antioxidant response element (ARE) sequences to regulate stress-adaptive nuclear gene expression. Reynolds et al. (Nature Communications, 2021) reported that endogenous MOTS-C expression rises in human skeletal muscle following exercise. For researchers, MOTS-C is the reference compound for mitokine biology, AMPK activation driven from upstream nucleotide metabolism, and mitochondrial-nuclear crosstalk.

Product Specifications

MOTS-C · Technical Data

Molecular Formula: C₁₀₁H₁₅₂N₂₈O₂₂S₂
Molecular Weight: 2174.5 g/mol
CAS Number: 1627580-64-6
Sequence: MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
Encoding Region: Mitochondrial 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1) short open reading frame
Purity: 98.46% (RP-HPLC)
Batch: UKPL-217
Form: White lyophilised powder

Certificate of Analysis

Third-party tested

Batch: UKPL-217
Purity: 98.46%
Specification: ≥98.0%
Method: RP-HPLC
Lab: Marfleet Analytical Services Ltd
Tested: Aug 2026

View Lab Certificate Verify batch UKPL-217

Need the certificate for an earlier batch? Request an older CoA

Storage and Reconstitution

Store MOTS-C powder at -20°C, away from light and moisture, for up to 24 months. After reconstitution, keep the solution at 2-8°C and use it within 4 weeks. For longer storage, freeze single-use aliquots at -20°C and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Vials are sold on their own, without bacteriostatic water for mixing or other supplies.

How to reconstitute and handle

To mix MOTS-C powder, let the vial and the bacteriostatic water reach room temperature and swab both stoppers with alcohol. Add the water slowly down the inside wall of the vial and swirl gently until dissolved. Do not shake or vortex. The solution should be clear and colourless.

Allow the vial to reach room temperature before opening so condensation does not settle on the powder.
Handle under aseptic conditions. Swab the stopper of both the MOTS-C vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with alcohol before each needle entry, and use a fresh sterile syringe for every transfer.
Store the reconstituted solution at 2-8°C and prepare single-use aliquots at -20°C for longer-term storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which reduce peptide integrity.
The MOTS-C sequence carries two methionine residues, a tryptophan and two tyrosines, all oxidation-sensitive side chains. Minimise headspace air exposure, protect from light, and do not leave dilute solutions standing at room temperature.
The site reconstitution guide and reconstitution calculator cover the full aseptic workflow and dilution arithmetic for lyophilised research peptides.

For the full method, see the peptide reconstitution guide and the reconstitution calculator.

Research References

Published research on MOTS-C is indexed on PubMed. See our full UK buyer's guide for MOTS-C, UK buyer's guide for MOTS-c 10mg and UK buyer's guide for MOTS-c CoA.

MOTS-C Price (UK)

MOTS-C is for sale in 2 vial sizes, priced from £24.99 for 10mg to £69.99 for 40mg. Every size ships from our UK facility, each with its own batch certificate. UK delivery is £4.50 by Royal Mail Tracked 24, free over £69.

MOTS-C · Price per vial

Vial	Price	Cost per mg	Availability
MOTS-C 10mgThis page	£24.99	£2.50	In stock
MOTS-C 40mg	£69.99	£1.75Best value	In stock

Prices are in GBP per vial and match the basket. See the FAQ for delivery and payment options, and quality & testing for how each batch is checked.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does MOTS-C activate AMPK?

MOTS-C activates AMPK indirectly, through the folate-methionine cycle rather than by binding AMPK itself. Published metabolomic work showed that MOTS-C depletes 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and blocks the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway tethered to it, which causes endogenous AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide) to accumulate. AICAR is an AMP mimetic, and its accumulation activates AMP-activated protein kinase.

What is a mitochondrial derived peptide?

A mitochondrial derived peptide (MDP) is a small bioactive peptide encoded by a short open reading frame inside mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome. Humanin was the first to be identified, MOTS-C the second, and the SHLP series followed. MDPs are studied as retrograde signalling molecules, meaning they carry information outward from the mitochondrion to the rest of the cell and to the nucleus.

Is MOTS C peptide the same as humanin?

No. MOTS-C and humanin are distinct peptides encoded in different regions of mitochondrial DNA and studied for different mechanisms. MOTS-C is a 16 residue peptide from the 12S rRNA region associated with the folate-methionine cycle and AMPK activation. Humanin is a 24 residue peptide from the 16S rRNA region studied predominantly for cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic signalling.

What is the MOTS-C amino acid sequence?

The human MOTS-C sequence is MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, that is Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg. It translates from a 51 base pair short open reading frame within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene and gives a molecular formula of C₁₀₁H₁₅₂N₂₈O₂₂S₂ at 2174.5 g/mol.

Has MOTS-C been studied in humans?

Human MOTS-C research to date is observational, measuring endogenous peptide levels rather than administering the compound. Reynolds et al. (Nature Communications, 2021) reported that endogenous MOTS-C expression rises in human skeletal muscle after exercise, and separate cohort work has compared circulating levels across metabolic states. Interventional evidence remains preclinical, and MOTS-C is not an approved medicine in any jurisdiction. It is supplied strictly for laboratory research use.

What is in a MOTS-C vial?

Each vial contains MOTS-C as a lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder. MOTS-C has the molecular formula C₁₀₁H₁₅₂N₂₈O₂₂S₂, a molecular weight of 2174.5 g/mol, and CAS number 1627580-64-6. The current 10mg batch is UKPL-217, verified at 98.46% purity by Marfleet Analytical Services using HPLC.

Where can I buy MOTS-C in the UK?

You can buy MOTS-C online from UK Peptide Lab. MOTS-C is for sale in 10mg and 40mg vials from UK stock. Orders placed before 3pm (UK time) on a working day are dispatched the same day, and UK delivery is free over £69.

What purity is your MOTS-C 10mg?

98.46% by RP-HPLC for batch UKPL-217, against a 98.0% specification. Marfleet Analytical Services ran the test, and the certificate is published in the certificate section.

Is MOTS C peptide legal to buy in the UK?

It can be bought in the UK for in-vitro laboratory research. MOTS-C is not an approved medicine and is sold for research use only, to buyers aged 18 or over.

Research Use Disclaimer