Mots-C

MOTS-c is a 16-amino acid peptide encoded in the mitochondrial genome that acts as a messenger between mitochondria and the nucleus, activating AMPK through the folate cycle to influence energy metabolism.

In diet-induced obese mice, MOTS-c improved insulin sensitivity and increased fat oxidation, and exercise studies found that endogenous MOTS-c rises sharply in skeletal muscle after physical activity.

These findings support ongoing research into MOTS-c as an exercise-mimetic regulator of metabolic health and physical performance.