MOTS-c molecular data: sequence, formula and structure
MOTS-c sequence MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, formula C101H152N28O22S2 and molecular weight 2174.6 g/mol, with an interactive sequence and a labelled AlphaFold model.
By the MOTS-C Peptide editorial team·Last reviewed ·Sources: editorially approved
Short answer
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide with the sequence MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, molecular formula C101H152N28O22S2 and an average molecular weight of 2174.6 g/mol [PubChem][UniProt 2026]. No experimental three-dimensional structure has been determined.
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Identity and computed properties
Every value below is copied from a named database record. Computed properties are marked as such: they are calculated from the structure, not measured in a laboratory.
Molecular identity and computed properties of MOTS-c
Property
Value
Source
Amino acid sequence
MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLRSingle-letter codes, N- to C-terminus.
The same peptide is supplied either as a free base or as a salt. FDA treated MOTS-c (free base) and MOTS-c acetate as two separate substances in its 2026 evaluation, writing a distinct conclusion for each [FDA 2026].
MOTS-c (free base). The peptide itself. PubChem CID 146675088 describes this form.
MOTS-c acetate. An acetate salt of the same peptide. FDA treated the free base and the acetate as two distinct substances in its 2026 review, each evaluated separately.
The agency also judged both forms “not well-characterised” from a chemistry standpoint, citing inconsistent naming against established nomenclature standards and the absence of published impurity, aggregate and endotoxin data [FDA 2026].
Residues with recorded annotations
UniProt records sequence features at specific positions, each drawn from a published experiment [UniProt 2026]. They describe what changed when researchers altered the peptide in a laboratory system; they are not properties of MOTS-c in the body.
Glu5. Substitution at this position was reported to remove the enhanced glycolytic response to glucose in cells (UniProt mutagenesis annotation).
Gly7. Substitution at this position was reported to remove the enhanced glycolytic response to glucose in cells (UniProt mutagenesis annotation).
Tyr11. Within residues 11-14; altering this stretch abolished nuclear localisation and DNA binding in cell experiments.
Pro12. Within residues 11-14; altering this stretch abolished nuclear localisation and DNA binding in cell experiments.
Arg13. Within both annotated stretches (11-14 and 13-16) linked to nuclear localisation and DNA binding.
Lys14. Position of the m.1382A>C variant, which replaces lysine with glutamine (K14Q).
Leu15. Within residues 13-16; altering this stretch left nuclear localisation intact but abolished DNA binding.
The position-14 variant is the one with human data attached: a study of a Japanese cohort examined the m.1382A>C genotype against type 2 diabetes prevalence and physical activity [Zempo et al. 2021].
How to verify these values
Each identifier resolves to a public record: UniProt A0A0C5B5G6, PubChem CID 146675088 and AlphaFold AF-A0A0C5B5G6-F1. The site re-checks them with npm run verify:sources, and the molecular formula is re-derived from the 16 residue formulas in the unit tests, so a transcription error fails the build. Analytical identity documentation for research material is published separately by suppliers; see also how this site verifies data.
Frequently asked questions
What is the amino acid sequence of MOTS-c?
MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR, a chain of 16 amino acids running from methionine at the N-terminus to arginine at the C-terminus, as recorded in UniProt entry A0A0C5B5G6.
What is the molecular weight of MOTS-c?
The average molecular weight of the free peptide is 2174.6 g/mol, with a monoisotopic mass of 2173.1077 Da, per PubChem CID 146675088. Salt forms such as the acetate have a different total mass.
What is the molecular formula of MOTS-c?
C101H152N28O22S2 for the free peptide. This can be re-derived by summing the 16 residue formulas and subtracting the water lost at each of the 15 peptide bonds.
Is there a 3D structure of MOTS-c?
No experimentally determined structure has been deposited in the Protein Data Bank, and PubChem publishes no 3D conformer for this record. A computational AlphaFold prediction exists, with a mean confidence of 72 pLDDT and 37.5% of residues in the low-confidence band.
What is the K14Q variant?
A mitochondrial DNA variant, m.1382A>C, replaces lysine at position 14 with glutamine. It has been reported mainly in Northeast Asian populations and studied in relation to type 2 diabetes prevalence and physical activity.
References
Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG et al. (2015). The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metab. PubMed 25738459 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009 · Study record[Animal, tier C]
Kim KH, Son JM, Benayoun BA et al. (2018). The Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c Translocates to the Nucleus to Regulate Nuclear Gene Expression in Response to Metabolic Stress. Cell Metab. PubMed 29983246 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.06.008 · Study record[Cells, tier D]
Zempo H, Kim SJ, Fuku N et al. (2021). A pro-diabetogenic mtDNA polymorphism in the mitochondrial-derived peptide, MOTS-c. Aging (Albany NY). PubMed 33468709 · doi:10.18632/aging.202529 · Study record[Human obs., tier B]
National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound CID 146675088: Mots-c. Source[retrieved 2026-11-11]
EMBL-EBI / Google DeepMind (2025-08-01). AlphaFold Protein Structure Database: AF-A0A0C5B5G6-F1 (model v6). Source[retrieved 2026-11-11]
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026-05-11). FDA Briefing Document: MOTS-c-Related Bulk Drug Substances (MOTS-c (free base) and MOTS-c acetate). Source[retrieved 2026-11-11]
Interactive sequence and structure
Primary sequence
MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
Select a residue to see its position, the model’s confidence there, and any annotation recorded for it.
Predicted 3D model
AlphaFold AF-A0A0C5B5G6-F1 (v6), created 2025-08-01.
This is a computational prediction, not an experimental structure. No experimentally determined structure of MOTS-c is deposited in the Protein Data Bank, and PubChem publishes no 3D conformer for this record. The model’s mean confidence is 72.06 pLDDT, with 38% of residues in the “low” band. For a short peptide this usually reflects a molecule with no single fixed shape in solution, so the geometry shown should not be read as the way MOTS-c is arranged in a cell.