MOTS-c

MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded within a short open reading frame in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA region. The 16-amino-acid peptide was first described in research linking mitochondrial genetic information with metabolic signaling beyond the classical respiratory-chain proteins. Experimental work has evaluated MOTS-c in glucose and lipid metabolism, skeletal-muscle physiology, exercise responses, cellular stress adaptation, inflammatory pathways, and aging-related animal models. Research also suggests that MOTS-c can translocate to the nucleus under metabolic stress and influence nuclear gene expression. The evidence remains predominantly preclinical, with limited observational human biomarker research and no FDA-approved therapeutic indication.