Study record
The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide (MOTS-c) Interacted with Nrf2 to Defend the Antioxidant System to Protect Dopaminergic Neurons Against Rotenone Exposure
Xiao J, Zhang Q, Shan Y et al. · Mol Neurobiol · 2023
What this study reported
Reported that rotenone altered MOTS-c expression and promoted its translocation from mitochondria to the nucleus in PC12 cells, where MOTS-c interacted with Nrf2 and regulated HO-1 and NQO1 expression. In rats and PC12 cells exposed to rotenone, reported that exogenous MOTS-c pretreatment was associated with less mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, smaller reductions in striatal TH, PSD95 and SYP protein, and attenuated changes in Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 and Keap1 expression.
Limitations
Group sizes and animal sex not reported in the abstract; a single rat rotenone model and a single immortalised cell line (PC12); pretreatment design only, with no post-exposure comparison and no behavioural outcomes reported.
Study record
| Study model | Animal study (in vivo) |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | SeveralMore than one of these is central to the paper (common for reviews). |
| Species | rat |
| System studied | Rats exposed to rotenone with striatum analysed; PC12 cells exposed to rotenone in culture |
| Population | Not reported |
| Design | Controlled animal experiment with cell culture experiments |
| Sample size as reported | not reported |
| Control group | rotenone-exposed animals and cells without MOTS-c pretreatment |
| Route (data field only) | other |
| Endpoints measured | MOTS-c expression and subcellular localization; Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 and Keap1 expression; mitochondrial function; oxidative stress markers; TH, PSD95 and SYP protein expression in striatum |
| Pathways measured | NRF2 / antioxidant response · Oxidative stress · Nuclear translocation |
| Research areas | Nervous system · Mitochondrial biology |
| Evidence tier | C — Animal in vivo |
| Publication types | Journal Article |
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.