MOTS-C

Fat LossMitochondrial-derived peptide / researchExperimental

Also known as: Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c

MOTS-C (also called Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c) is a mitochondrial-derived peptide in the Mitochondrial Peptide class. MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene, an example of the mitochondria signalling to the rest of the cell rather than only receiving instructions.

Calculate Dose

For research use only.

Key Facts

CAS: 1627580-64-6
Molecular Weight (MW): 2174.6 g/mol
Half-life: ~2-4 hours
FDA status: Not Approved
Evidence level: Insufficient Evidence
Human dose established: No
Administration Route: Not established in humans
Frequency: Not established in humans
Last updated: Sep 26, 2026
Reviewed: Aug 30, 2026
Targets: AMPK pathway

Vendor price snapshot

Each vendor counts once, at the median price per mg of its own listings; the typical range is the middle half of vendors. From public vendor listings collected between Nov 2025 and Sep 2026, so confirm the live price on the vendor site. Peptide Library does not sell peptides.

Vendors listing this peptide: 38
Listed offers: 58
Median price per mg: $5.00/mg; Typical $4.00–$6.87/mg

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Research summary

A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene, notable as an example of the mitochondrion signalling to the rest of the cell rather than only receiving instructions. It has been studied for effects on glucose utilisation and fatty-acid oxidation through AMPK activation in metabolic models. Circulating concentrations fall with age and rise with exercise. Research use only; no human trials have been published and it is not FDA-approved.

Peptide Library's MOTS-C profile summarises 5 cited studies listed in the Science section, the compound's regulatory status, and research-protocol parameters reported for it. It is a research reference, not medical advice.

MOTS-C dosage: no established human dose

MOTS-c has no established human dosage. No completed human trial has published a MOTS-c dose. One interventional trial is registered and recruiting, but it has no results and does not disclose its dose; the only completed human study in this area used CB4211, an analog, and did not publish its dose levels. All other human MOTS-c research is observational — it measures the peptide the body already produces rather than administering it.

Insufficient Evidence

No established human dosage.

Human clinical evidence: None identified.

Preclinical research: MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide with a large and active preclinical literature — over 80 indexed publications — covering insulin sensitivity, exercise metabolism, cardiac and pulmonary injury models, and mitochondrial bioenergetics, almost entirely in rodents and cell culture. That work establishes biological activity in those models. It does not establish a human dose, a human route, or a human dosing interval, and animal dosing is not converted to a human equivalent anywhere on this page.

Animal dosing is not converted into a human dose anywhere on this page. Where research figures appear below, they are reported as studied, not recommended.

Dosage evidence summary for MOTS-C
Human dosing established	No
Route	Not established in humans
Evidence level	Insufficient Evidence
Last reviewed	2026-09-05

Human research reported

Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.

Research-reported dosing for MOTS-C, one row per studied regimen
Study / context	Population	Dose	Route	Frequency	Duration	Outcome studied	Source
NCT07505745 — phase 2, recruiting, no resultsClinical trial · Registered phase 2 RCT, recruiting since February 2026	Adults with prediabetes and overweight or obesity (planned n=120)	Not disclosed — registry states only "fixed dose once daily"	Subcutaneous	Once daily	12 weeks	Insulin sensitivity	NCT07505745 — MOTS-c for Improving Insulin Sensitivity in Adults With Prediabetes and Overweight/Obesity
Observational — serum MOTS-c in obesityResearch-reported · Observational human study	Adults with and without obesity	None administered — endogenous levels measured	Not applicable	—	—	Association with inflammation, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction	MOTS-c levels in individuals with and without obesity and its association with inflammation, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2025.
Observational — serum and skeletal muscle MOTS-c in PCOSResearch-reported · Observational human study	Women with polycystic ovary syndrome	None administered — endogenous levels measured	Not applicable	—	—	Association with mitochondrial dysfunction	Reduced serum and skeletal muscle MOTS-c levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Sci Rep. 2026.

Preclinical and analog research

Not human dosing evidence. Listed for completeness and never extrapolated to a human dose.

Research-reported dosing for MOTS-C, one row per studied regimen
Study / context	Population	Dose	Route	Frequency	Duration	Outcome studied	Source
NCT03998514 — CB4211 (a MOTS-c analog), phase 1a/1b, completedClinical trial · Phase 1a/1b trial of CB4211, a MOTS-c analogStudied an analog, not MOTS-C itself	Healthy non-obese subjects and subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n=88)	Not disclosed — registry lists ascending arms as "Dose 1" through "Dose 6"	Subcutaneous	Single ascending dose, then daily dosing	Up to 28 days	Safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics	NCT03998514 — A Phase 1a/1b Study of CB4211 in Healthy Non-obese Subjects and Subjects With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Preclinical — muscle mitochondrial bioenergeticsPreclinical · Preclinical	Animal and cell models	Model-specific; not convertible to a human dose	Varies by model	—	—	Mitochondrial bioenergetic health and efficiency via PGC-1α/AMPK	MOTS-c improves intrinsic muscle mitochondrial bioenergetic health and efficiency in a PGC-1α/AMPK-dependent manner. Free Radic Biol Med. 2026.

Where sources disagree

Vendor and peptide-reference sites commonly publish MOTS-c protocols in the range of 5–10 mg subcutaneously. No completed human trial has published a MOTS-c dose at all, so these figures do not originate from human research and no primary source for them could be identified.
The 88-participant phase 1a/1b trial frequently cited as human evidence for MOTS-c studied CB4211, a MOTS-c analog, not MOTS-c itself. Results for an analog are not evidence of a dose for the parent peptide.

Reconstitution

Common research vial sizes: 5 mg, 10 mg.

Reconstitution arithmetic for MOTS-C
Vial	Bacteriostatic water	Concentration	Per 0.01 mL
5 mg	2 mL	2.5 mg/mL	25 mcg per 0.01 mL
10 mg	2 mL	5 mg/mL	50 mcg per 0.01 mL

These figures are arithmetic only — they convert a vial and a volume into a concentration. They are not a recommendation to take any dose.

Calculate reconstitution & dose →

Handling & administration

Reconstitution Guide: 2 mL BAC for 10 mg vial
Injection Sites: Abdomen
Concentration Example: 10 mg / 2 mL = 5 mg/mL
Timing Notes: AM fasted or pre-workout
Expected Onset: 1-2 weeks

How to reconstitute MOTS-C

Check the vial size and diluent volume. The profile example for MOTS-C is: 2 mL BAC for 10 mg vial.
Swab both vial stoppers and draw the bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe.
Add the water slowly down the inside wall of the peptide vial so it does not jet onto the powder, then swirl gently until the solution is clear. Do not shake.
Record the resulting concentration: 10 mg / 2 mL = 5 mg/mL.
Label the vial with the date and concentration, refrigerate it (see Storage & stability below), and use the calculator preset to convert a dose in mcg into syringe units.

Open the peptide calculator with the MOTS-C preset →

Sequence & molecular data

Sequence and molecular data for MOTS-C
Amino acid sequence	MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
Molecular formula	C101H152N28O22S2
Molecular weight	2174.6 g/mol
CAS number	1627580-64-6
Half-life	~2-4 hours
Appearance	White lyophilized powder
Formulation	Lyophilized Powder
PubChem CID	146675088
FDA UNII	A5CV6JFB78

Identifiers link to the public PubChem, FDA Substance Registration (UNII), ChEMBL and DrugBank records for the same entity.

Science

Mechanism of Action

MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene, an example of the mitochondria signalling to the rest of the cell rather than only receiving instructions. Under metabolic stress it translocates to the nucleus and acts as a transcriptional regulator, influencing adaptive nuclear gene expression. Its better-characterised action is on the folate-methionine cycle: by interfering with that pathway it causes accumulation of AICAR, an endogenous AMP mimetic, which activates AMP-activated protein kinase. AMPK activation increases glucose uptake and fatty-acid oxidation and shifts metabolism toward catabolic ATP generation. Circulating concentrations fall with age and rise with exercise. Human trials have not been published.

Origin

Mitochondrial 12S rRNA short ORF peptide.

Targets

AMPK pathway

Studies

Regulatory & research status

MOTS-C is not an FDA-approved product. It is sold for laboratory research and has no approved medical use.

Regulatory and research status for MOTS-C
FDA status	Not Approved
Availability	Research-Only
WADA (sport)	Unknown / Not Listed
Library classification	Research-Only

Benefits

Exercise-mimetic researchInsulin-sensitivity models

MOTS-C side effects

MOTS-C has no controlled human safety data. The effects below are reported, not established, and absence from the list is not evidence of safety.

Side Effects

Limited human data
Injection reactions

Contraindications

Hypoglycemia risk

Stacking

Common stacking partners

5-Amino-1MQ NAD+

Combinations that include MOTS-C, with the proposed rationale, an evidence grade and what is not established, are catalogued in the peptide stacks directory.

Storage & stability

Lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptide powder is far more stable than the reconstituted solution. Keep sealed vials cold, dry and away from light; long-term storage is typically frozen, with short-term refrigeration for vials in use.

Once reconstituted in bacteriostatic water, keep the solution refrigerated, avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles and agitation, and label the vial with the reconstitution date and concentration. Discard any solution that turns cloudy or shows particulates.

Degradation rates differ by sequence: peptides containing methionine, cysteine, asparagine or glutamine are more prone to oxidation and deamidation, so shelf life after reconstitution is compound-specific rather than universal.

Read the full guide: how to store peptides before and after reconstitution →

Source: Manning MC, Chou DK, Murphy BM, Payne RW, Katayama DS. Stability of protein pharmaceuticals: an update. Pharm Res. 2010;27(4):544–575. (PMID 20143256). General guidance for research handling; not product-specific instructions.

MOTS-C: frequently asked questions

What is MOTS-C?

What are the side effects of MOTS-C?

MOTS-C has no controlled human safety data, so its side-effect profile is not well established. Effects recorded on this profile include injection reactions. Cautions recorded on this profile: hypoglycemia risk. This is reference information, not medical advice.

How does MOTS-C work?

Is MOTS-C FDA approved?

No. MOTS-C is not approved by the FDA for any indication and is categorised as research-only. It has not been reviewed for safety or efficacy as a medicine, and published research should be read as investigation rather than established use.

What is the half-life of MOTS-C?

Reported half-life for MOTS-C is ~2-4 hours. Half-life describes how long the compound persists in circulation, not how long any effect lasts, and published figures vary with route of administration, formulation and the population studied.

What is the amino acid sequence of MOTS-C?

MOTS-C has the sequence MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR. Its molecular formula is C101H152N28O22S2.

What peptides are similar to MOTS-C?

Compounds most often compared with MOTS-C include Humanin, Humanin-G (HNG), SS-20 and Elamipretide (SS-31). They are grouped by shared mechanism or research area rather than by equivalence, and their regulatory status and evidence base differ.

How long does MOTS-C take to show effects in research protocols?

The research protocol on this profile lists an expected onset of 1-2 weeks. This is a protocol note describing when studies and researchers report observing changes, not a measured clinical outcome, and it varies with the model, dose and endpoint studied.

Where is MOTS-C administered in research protocols?

Research protocols on this profile use subcutaneous administration, with recorded sites including abdomen. Site rotation and sterile technique are standard practice in the research literature; this describes protocol conditions and is not guidance for use.

References

MOTS-c: A promising mitochondrial-derived peptide for therapeutic exploitation — Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2023
External reference
MOTS-c Functionally Prevents Metabolic Disorders — Metabolites, 2023
External reference
Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c, Diabetes, and Aging-Related Diseases — Diabetes Metab J, 2023
External reference
Exercise, Mitohormesis, and Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA Type-C (MOTS-c) — Diabetes Metab J, 2022
External reference
MOTS-c: A Mitochondrial-Encoded Regulator of the Nucleus — Bioessays, 2019
External reference

Related research, comparisons & guides

Related peptides

NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)

Compiled by Peptide Library Editorial · Reviewed Aug 30, 2026 · Updated Sep 26, 2026 · Version 5

This MOTS-C profile is compiled from published literature (5 cited studies linked above), public regulatory records and chemical registries. It describes what research reports; it is not medical advice, and nothing here is a dosing recommendation for humans. Peptide Library does not sell peptides. Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled · Report an error

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