What it is: MOTS‑c (“mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA‑c”) is a 16‑amino‑acid peptide encoded within mitochondrial DNA
Origin & role: Discovered in 2015, it acts as a mitochondrial‑derived signaling peptide (MDP), involved in metabolism and cellular protection
Mode of administration in studies: Research typically employs synthetic MOTS‑c, given via intraperitoneal (IP) injection or subcutaneous injection—often using osmotic pumps for sustained delivery in animal models
Benefits
- Metabolic regulation:
- Improves insulin sensitivity, prevents high‑fat‑diet‑induced obesity, and enhances glucose utilization via AMPK activation in skeletal muscle
- Altered plasma metabolite profiles: even affects sphingolipid and fatty‑acid pathways associated with obesity and fatty liver
- Cardiovascular protection:
- Mitigates diabetic cardiomyopathy in type 1 diabetes mouse models by restoring AMPK signaling and reducing inflammation
- Prevents heart failure under pressure overload, attenuates fibrosis and apoptosis, and boosts antioxidant defenses and anti‑inflammatory responses
- Autoimmune & islet protection:
- In NOD (non‑obese diabetic) mice, MOTS‑c delays onset of autoimmune diabetes, preserves β‑cells, and lowers insulitis (inflammation of islets)
- Exercise mimic & performance:
- Acts as an exercise mimetic: levels rise with physical activity, and in mice, a single dose improved treadmill performance by ~12–15%
- Biomarker potential:
- Circulating MOTS‑c is lower in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, or insulin resistance, and correlates negatively with BMI and disease severity—suggesting its potential as a metabolic health marker
- In PCOS subjects, lipid infusion increases MOTS‑c, whereas insulin suppresses it—highlighting its dynamic regulation by metabolic status
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.