MOTS-C 10 mg lyophilised peptide vial with amber flip-off cap and white label

NovaPep

Buy MOTS-c Australia: MOTS-c 10mg, 20mg and 40mg Research Vials

$69AUD, GST included

In stock in Australia, batch certificate ready

Certificate of analysis published for every batch
Third-party HPLC purity and MS identity testing
Dispatched same day before 3pm cut-off, tracked Australia-wide
Research use only, sold to adults aged 18 and over

Buy MOTS-c online in Australia in 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg research vials, tested for identity and purity on every lot. MOTS-c is a 16 amino acid peptide, MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, that is written in mitochondrial DNA rather than the nucleus, supplied across Australia from local stock. It sits within a short open reading frame of the 12S rRNA gene and acts as a signal from mitochondria to the rest of the cell, studied mainly through AMPK, the energy sensor of the cell. Every lot is identified by C101H152N28O22S2, 2174.6 g/mol and CAS 1627580-64-6. Each batch is confirmed by mass spectrometry and quantified by HPLC, and you can read its certificate of analysis before paying. It comes as lyophilised vials of 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg, and the MOTS-c calculator converts any volume of water into a working concentration. Pair it with SS-31 in one cart for a broader mitochondrial project. The vials contain powder and no diluent, so add bacteriostatic water, and store unopened vials dry and dark at -20 °C. All vials are research reagents sold only to adults 18 and over for in vitro laboratory work, never for human or veterinary use.

For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not TGA approved. See the NovaPep research use policy.

What Is MOTS-c?

MOTS-c is a short peptide that mitochondria make for themselves and release as a signal, reporting to the rest of the cell on the state of its energy supply. That alone explains why it appears in research catalogues, since it is a message from an organelle long thought to have nothing to communicate. MOTS-c is for sale in Australia as a 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg research vial, ready to order online from local stock.

Some context shows why this is so unusual. Nearly every human gene lives in the nucleus, yet mitochondria carry a separate small circular genome of about 16,500 base pairs, inherited from the bacterium they evolved from. Standard textbooks gave that genome 37 genes, including 13 proteins, all retained within the organelle. The MOTS-c reading frame is tucked into a different gene, the region that codes 12S ribosomal RNA, overlapping sequence that was thought to be purely structural. Decoding it needs the mitochondrial genetic code, which is not the same as the nuclear code, and so the gene-finding software of the time missed the peptide entirely.

Where MOTS-c Comes From

Nuclear genes code for nearly every peptide we stock, and MOTS-c breaks that pattern. Its sequence lives in the small circular mitochondrial genome, which puts it in the mitochondrial-derived peptide group with humanin. Changhan Lee and colleagues at the University of Southern California first reported it in Cell Metabolism in 2015, describing action mostly in skeletal muscle through activation of AMPK, the energy sensor of the cell. Our article on MOTS-c benefits in published cell and rodent studies traces that work through to the present.

MOTS-c started life as a discovery and not as a designed drug. The 2015 Cell Metabolism paper grew from a scan of the mitochondrial genome for short open reading frames that could code for signalling peptides, and the 12S rRNA region produced one. As of October 2026 the ARTG lists no product containing MOTS-c, and we know of no regulator that has approved it as a medicine, so this vial is a laboratory reagent without any prescription counterpart.

How MOTS-c Works Inside the Cell

Two methionines sit in the sequence, so it should be shielded from oxidation, and a group of basic arginine and lysine residues clusters near the C-terminus. The same group reported in 2018 that this basic tail is linked to the peptide moving into the nucleus under metabolic stress. A 2021 study in Nature Communications later connected its levels to exercise, including work in aged mice, and most present-day cell models follow that line of research.

The core question it helps answer is how a signal encoded in mitochondrial DNA travels to and shapes gene expression in the nucleus. The vial is a research reagent for examining that in cells and has no connection to any approved medicine, and our mitochondrial peptides category gathers the compounds commonly bought with it.

MOTS-c Research: What Studies Have Looked At

Key Points on MOTS-c

A 16 residue chain, MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, coded in mitochondrial DNA and not nuclear DNA.
The second mitochondrial-derived peptide reported, after humanin in 2003.
Contains two methionine residues, so oxidation is the main handling hazard to plan around.
Included in the metabolic modulators class of the current anti-doping prohibited list.

The clearest sign that the peptide matters comes from genetics. In a 2021 paper in Aging, Zempo and co-workers studied m.1382A to C, a mitochondrial DNA variant seen in East Asian populations that swaps residue 14 of the peptide from lysine to glutamine. Across a large Japanese cohort, carriers showed a link with type 2 diabetes prevalence among men, but only in the group reporting the lowest physical activity. In their mouse and cell work, the variant peptide also underperformed the common form. One base change in mitochondrial DNA, one residue altered in a 16 residue peptide, and a measurable association across a population together make a firmer case for biological relevance than any supplementation trial. Shop MOTS-c online in Australia for this research, knowing each lot has been checked for identity and purity.

Our suggestion for labs is to make the variant part of the experiment, not a footnote. Ordering the standard sequence plus a matched K14Q synthesis provides a ready-made specificity control, and any effect that appears with both versions argues against the mechanism being tested. Before fixing your endpoints, read our summary of what MOTS-c studies have measured, because most reported effects are indirect and call for a carefully chosen readout.

MOTS-c Specifications

Product name	MOTS-c, a mitochondrial-derived peptide
Fills	10 mg vial, 20 mg vial, 40 mg vial
Sequence	MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR in one-letter code, a free acid chain encoded in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene
Chain length	16 amino acids
Formula	C101H152N28O22S2
Molecular weight	2174.6 g/mol
CAS	1627580-64-6
Appearance	Freeze-dried MOTS-c powder inside a sealed glass vial
Quality checks	HPLC measures purity and mass spectrometry confirms identity, with a certificate issued for every lot
In the box	One vial of lyophilised MOTS-c at 10, 20 or 40 mg, with bacteriostatic water purchased separately
Storage conditions	Sealed at -20 °C, kept dry and away from light, then 2 to 8 °C once reconstituted
Stock status	In stock
Intended use	In vitro laboratory research only

Each of the three fills is supplied in the same form, a sealed glass vial containing a white freeze-dried cake of the 16 residue peptide and no other compound. Amber flip-off caps sit on the 10 mg and 40 mg vials, so they stand out from green-capped vials like tirzepatide on a shared freezer shelf. The 20 mg size fills the gap for labs that find 10 mg too little and 40 mg more than they can use in time.

MOTS-c suits projects on the conversation between mitochondria and the nucleus, and pick the fill that suits how quickly your team will get through it. The three sizes are made to one specification and pass the same release test.

Reading the MOTS-c Certificate

The best MOTS c peptide for the bench is one with a certificate you can verify. Check for a measured mass near 2174.6 g/mol, the sequence MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR and the HPLC purity of your lot, all available in the COA library under the lot code on the vial label.

Handling and Storage of MOTS-c

Since the vial contains only dry peptide, include bacteriostatic water in your order. Let the vial reach room temperature, run the water gently down the glass and swirl it instead of shaking. Adding 2 mL to the 10 mg vial makes 5 mg/mL, and the MOTS-c reconstitution calculator works out the 20 and 40 mg fills or any other volume. MOTS-c for sale in Australia leaves our shelves by tracked post, so it reaches your bench in good condition.

Keep sealed MOTS-c vials in the freezer at -20 °C. Once mixed, store the solution at 2 to 8 °C out of light, split into aliquots so that no portion is thawed twice, and keep air contact to a minimum because of the methionines.

MOTS-c Compared With SS-31 and Other Mitochondrial Reagents

Which peptide to stack with MOTS c depends on the layer of mitochondrial biology under study. MOTS-c signals through AMPK and gene expression, whereas SS-31 is a synthetic tetrapeptide that attaches to cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Use MOTS-c for signalling questions and SS-31 for membrane and bioenergetics questions, keeping both in separate vials so their effects stay distinguishable.

Add NAD+ when the central coenzyme of energy metabolism belongs in the design, or SLU-PP-332, a small molecule that activates estrogen-related receptors, as a non-peptide entry into the same mitochondrial programs.

MOTS-c Under WADA Rules

Sport is the one area where the peptide now holds an official status. The 2025 WADA Prohibited List cited MOTS-c as an example of an AMP-activated protein kinase activator in the metabolic modulators class, S4, which is prohibited both in and out of competition. Sport Integrity Australia uses the same list locally, so any athlete bound by the code is barred from MOTS-c.

Other Names for MOTS-c

You will see it printed as MOTS-c, MOTS-c, MOTS C or MOT-C, an acronym drawn from its source open reading frame, a short coding segment within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, type c. It is a member of the mitochondrial-derived peptides, often shortened to MDPs, and its identifier is CAS 1627580-64-6.

Linked terms include AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), the folate cycle and AICAR, an intermediate tied to its activity in the 2015 paper. These are not products in their own right, as they describe the pathway in which the peptide is investigated.

Buy MOTS-c Online in Australia

For research teams, MOTS-c for sale in Australia means a reagent supply. NovaPep keeps the 10, 20 and 40 mg vials in Australian stock for online ordering by adults 18 and over, solely for in vitro work and never for human or veterinary use. Groups that buy MOTS-c in Australia within an ageing biology program can find related compounds in our longevity peptides range.

Labs often ask about the best peptides to stack with MOTS-c in a research order. SS-31 and NAD+ are the usual companions for mitochondrial endpoints, each ordered as its own vial.

The 10 mg vial is the right choice for first orders, pilot work and brief concentration-response series, as it is the simplest to use up inside 28 days of mixing. The 20 mg vial costs less per milligram and handles two or three short experiments. The 40 mg vial, the best value per milligram, fits an established method that will consume the full solution on time.

The 28 day window matters more than price when choosing a size. If half of a 40 mg vial expires unused, each useful milligram costs more than it would from two 10 mg vials opened a month apart. Size the fill to your experimental pace rather than to the cheapest headline price.

When buying several vials at once, ask for a single lot where stock permits so that one certificate covers the whole series. Only adults 18 and over can complete checkout.

NovaPep has no physical store. We operate online and send orders from Australian stock to every state, so whether a MOTS-c Australia parcel is headed for a lab ordering peptides in Adelaide, Cairns or a rural postcode, it leaves from the same shelf. Payment cleared before 3pm on a business day means dispatch that day, as described on the delivery information page.

More on Buying MOTS-c in Australia

How is MOTS-c used in laboratory research?

Researchers use it to examine how a peptide encoded in mitochondria affects cellular energy sensing and gene expression in the nucleus. Published cell and mouse studies connect it to AMPK and to metabolic stress responses. Our vials are sold for bench experiments alone and never for people or animals.

MOTS-c at a Glance

Encoded by mitochondria

This 16 amino acid peptide is written in the mitochondrial genome instead of the nucleus and was first reported in 2015.

Order 10, 20 or 40 mg

Pick the fill that suits your run, as the biggest fill is the cheapest per milligram. Diluent is purchased separately.

For in vitro research

Studied for AMPK signalling, communication from mitochondria to nucleus and metabolic stress in published cell and rodent work.

Works well beside SS-31

Combining a signalling peptide with a membrane-binding one covers two separate layers of mitochondrial biology.

Thaw a single time

Keep sealed vials frozen at -20 °C, and refrigerate reconstituted solution in aliquots that are each thawed only once.

Sequence printed on the COA

Every lot gets mass spectrometry for identity and HPLC for purity, and its certificate in the COA library lists the sequence.

MOTS-c FAQ

What is MOTS-c and how does it work?

MOTS-c is a 16 residue mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded within the 12S rRNA gene of mitochondrial DNA. Published cell and mouse studies link it to AMPK activation and report that it moves into the nucleus under metabolic stress, where it is studied for effects on gene expression.

Can I buy MOTS-c peptide near me?

Yes, through our online store from anywhere in Australia. Select the 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg vial, and orders paid before 3pm on a business day leave local stock that same day. We have no retail shop, so every customer receives the same stock with a published lot certificate and a tracked parcel.

How do I pick the best MOTS c peptide for lab use?

Choose a vial from a lot that has been verified by mass spectrometry and quantified by HPLC, with a certificate listing the measured mass and sequence. We publish ours in the COA library under the lot code on every vial, so the report can be checked before ordering and kept on file later.

Is MOTS-c or SS-31 the better choice?

Go with MOTS-c when the question involves AMPK signalling or communication from mitochondria to the nucleus. Go with SS-31 when the focus is cardiolipin and the inner mitochondrial membrane. Plenty of labs buy both as separate vials so that each compound's contribution can be separated in the results.

How should MOTS-c be stored?

Keep sealed vials frozen at -20 °C, dry and dark. Once mixed, hold the solution at 2 to 8 °C out of light, split into aliquots that are each thawed only once. The two methionine residues make oxidation the main hazard, so keep air contact low.

What is the best peptide to stack with MOTS-c?

For mitochondrial work, SS-31 is the most common partner, since it targets cardiolipin on the inner membrane while MOTS-c signals through AMPK. NAD+ and SLU-PP-332 are popular too. Each is a separate research reagent with its own lot certificate, and all can share one cart.