Study record
The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance
Lee C, Zeng J, Drew BG et al. · Cell Metab · 2015
What this study reported
Identified a short open reading frame in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA encoding a 16-amino-acid peptide, MOTS-c. In cells, MOTS-c was reported to inhibit the folate cycle and tethered de novo purine biosynthesis, leading to AMPK activation, with skeletal muscle as the apparent primary target. In mice, MOTS-c treatment was associated with less age-dependent and high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance and less diet-induced obesity.
Limitations
Sample sizes, sex balance and administration details are not given in the abstract; findings come from mouse models and cell lines only.
Study record
| Study model | Animal study (in vivo) |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | MOTS-c administeredSynthetic MOTS-c was given to cells, animals or people. |
| Species | mouse |
| System studied | Aged mice and high-fat-diet-fed mice; cultured cell lines (HEK293, HeLa per MeSH) |
| Population | Not reported |
| Design | Discovery study with controlled animal experiments and cell culture experiments |
| Sample size as reported | Not reported |
| Control group | untreated aged and high-fat-diet mice (comparison implied; details not reported in abstract) |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | insulin sensitivity; diet-induced weight gain; folate cycle and de novo purine biosynthesis; AMPK activation |
| Pathways measured | Folate cycle / purines / AICAR · AMPK signalling · Insulin & glucose handling |
| Research areas | Metabolic · Skeletal muscle · Aging · Mitochondrial biology |
| Evidence tier | C — Animal in vivo |
| Publication types | Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Direct
- Model applicability
- Mammalian
- Sample size
- Not reported
- Controls
- Appropriate
- Outcome validity
- Surrogate
- Support for its own conclusion
- Moderate
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.