Study record
MOTS-c modulates skeletal muscle function by directly binding and activating CK2
Kumagai H, Kim SJ, Miller B et al. · iScience · 2024
What this study reported
Reported that MOTS-c binds and activates CK2 in cell-free systems, and that in mice administered MOTS-c was associated with less skeletal muscle atrophy and greater muscle glucose uptake, effects blunted when CK2 activity was suppressed. In human carriers, the K14Q variant was associated with higher sarcopenia and type 2 diabetes risk in men in an age- and physical-activity-dependent way, and with an age-specific lower type 2 diabetes risk in women.
Limitations
The human analysis is observational with no sample size reported in the abstract; animal work does not state sex or group sizes; tissue-specific conclusions are inferred from a single kinase target.
Study record
| Study model | Human observational |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | SeveralMore than one of these is central to the paper (common for reviews). |
| Species | human, mouse |
| System studied | Cell-free CK2 assays, mice given MOTS-c, and human carriers of the K14Q MOTS-c variant |
| Population | human carriers and non-carriers of the K14Q MOTS-c variant |
| Design | Mechanistic cell and animal experiments with a human genetic association analysis |
| Sample size as reported | Not reported |
| Control group | non-carriers of the variant; untreated mice and cell-free systems |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | CK2 binding and activity; skeletal muscle atrophy; muscle glucose uptake; sarcopenia risk; type 2 diabetes risk |
| Pathways measured | Insulin & glucose handling · Other |
| Research areas | Skeletal muscle · Metabolic · Aging |
| Evidence tier | B — Other human study |
| 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
- Human
- 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.