Description

MOTS-c (Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the 12S rRNA-c) is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded by the mitochondrial genome rather than nuclear DNA, distinguishing it as a unique mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP). Discovered in 2015, it functions as a systemic signaling molecule or “mitokine” that helps regulate metabolic homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and cellular stress responses.