MOTS-C

What is MOTS-C?

The 40mg vial is the largest presentation stocked of this 16-residue mitochondrial-derived peptide, holding four times the lyophilised mass of the standard 10mg vial in the same glass format. The compound is identical in both, sequence MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, molecular formula C₁₀₁H₁₅₂N₂₈O₂₂S₂, molecular weight 2174.5 g/mol, CAS 1627580-64-6. The mechanism, the folate-methionine cycle route to AICAR accumulation and AMPK activation, the nuclear translocation and NRF2 work, and the wider mitochondrial-derived peptide family context are all documented on the main MOTS-C page and are not repeated here. This page documents what is specific to the 40mg format: the fourfold concentration at fixed fill volume, and above all the oxidative-exposure consequences of holding four times the mass in a single vial that will be accessed over a longer working life. Supplied as lyophilised powder for in-vitro research use only.

The 40mg Vial vs the 10mg Vial: Oxidative Exposure Over Working Life

Both vials hold the same peptide, so the comparison is entirely about handling. The sequence carries two methionine residues, one tryptophan and two tyrosines, all oxidation-labile side chains, which makes cumulative exposure a real experimental variable rather than a generic caution. A vial holding four times the mass is typically consumed over a longer period and across more stopper penetrations, so a single reconstituted stock accumulates more headspace air contact, more light exposure and more freeze-thaw opportunity before the last of it is used. The 10mg vial limits that exposure structurally, simply by running out sooner. The 40mg vial answers with batch continuity, one certificate of analysis across four times as much work, and a lower cost per milligram, since vial, stopper, lyophilisation and third-party assay costs fall per vial rather than per milligram. The reconciling practice is aliquoting: drawn into single-use volumes at the point of reconstitution, a 40mg vial behaves like a set of small ones, and the oxidative-exposure objection largely disappears.

MOTS-C Research Applications

The applications are those documented for the standard vial, since the compound is the same: AMPK signalling, folate-methionine cycle flux, de novo purine biosynthesis and AICAR accumulation, glucose and fatty acid metabolism, skeletal muscle bioenergetics, and mitochondrial-to-nuclear retrograde signalling. Vial content matters to study logistics rather than to endpoint selection. Higher-throughput designs, dose-response matrices across many wells or plates, and extended time-course work all consume material faster than a 10mg vial supports comfortably, and running the whole design against one batch removes inter-batch variance from the analysis. Analytical method development is the other common case, where a low molecular weight mtDNA-encoded peptide is needed as a standard and repeated standard preparations from a single batch are more internally consistent than the same work spread across several.

Reconstitution Guide

Allow the vial and the bacteriostatic water to reach room temperature so condensation does not settle on the powder, then swab both rubber stoppers with alcohol. Inject the diluent slowly down the inner glass wall rather than onto the lyophilised cake, and swirl gently until fully dissolved. Never shake or vortex. The solution should be clear and colourless. Two points are specific to the 40mg vial. First, fill volume must be set from your target concentration, since 40mg reaches four times the concentration of 10mg at identical volume: 40mg in 4mL gives a 10mg/mL stock, the same 40mg in 2mL gives 20mg/mL. We specify no fill volume, as that is a protocol decision, and provide no dosing information. Second, aliquot into single-use volumes at the point of reconstitution rather than later, minimising headspace air exposure and time at room temperature while the oxidation-sensitive side chains in the sequence are in dilute solution.

See our full peptide reconstitution guide and reconstitution calculator for step-by-step protocol.

Storage Instructions

Lyophilised vials should be stored at -20°C, protected from light and moisture, and remain stable for up to 24 months. Once reconstituted, hold the solution at 2-8°C, and for anything beyond short-term use prepare single-use aliquots at -20°C. On a 40mg vial this is not optional good practice but the main defence of the material, because the sequence contains two methionines, a tryptophan and two tyrosines and a stock intended to last a long protocol accumulates oxidative exposure with every re-entry. Minimise headspace air, keep vials and aliquots protected from light, never leave dilute solution standing at room temperature, and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Label every aliquot with the reconstitution date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Research References

• The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance (Cell Metab, 2015)
• The mitochondrial-encoded peptide MOTS-c translocates to the nucleus to regulate nuclear gene expression in response to metabolic stress (Cell Metab, 2018)
• MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis (Nat Commun, 2021)

Related Research Compounds

• → MOTS-C 10mg (main product page)
• → NAD+ 500mg
• → 5-Amino-1MQ 50mg
• → Bacteriostatic Water 10ml