Study record
The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c improves bioenergetics in aging-associated granulosa cells and oocytes
Tsui KH, Cheng SH, Lin LT et al. · Reprod Fertil · 2026
What this study reported
Reported that MOTS-c increased mitochondrial mass, ATP-linked and maximal respiration and spare respiratory capacity and reduced proton leak in aging-associated human granulosa cells without increasing reactive oxygen species. Reported that ex vivo MOTS-c exposure increased first polar body positivity and mitochondria-associated fluorescence and lowered oxidative-stress fluorescence in aged mouse oocytes, though outcomes stayed below young-reference levels.
Limitations
A single immortalised granulosa cell line plus ex vivo mouse oocytes, with replicate numbers not reported in the abstract; fertilisation, embryo development and live birth were not assessed; transcriptomic component is a reanalysis of public datasets.
Study record
| Study model | Cell study (in vitro) |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | MOTS-c administeredSynthetic MOTS-c was given to cells, animals or people. |
| Species | human, mouse |
| System studied | Aging-associated HGL5 human granulosa cells, ex vivo oocytes from young and aged mice, and public ovarian transcriptomic datasets |
| Population | Not reported |
| Design | Cell culture and ex vivo oocyte experiments with transcriptomic reanalysis |
| Sample size as reported | not reported |
| Control group | untreated aged cells and oocytes; young-mouse reference oocytes |
| Route (data field only) | in-culture |
| Endpoints measured | mitochondrial mass and ATP-linked respiration; reactive oxygen species; membrane potential and proton leak; metabolic enzyme and antioxidant protein expression; polar body extrusion in aged oocytes |
| Pathways measured | NRF2 / antioxidant response · Oxidative stress · SIRT1 / PGC-1α / biogenesis |
| Research areas | Reproductive · Aging · Mitochondrial biology |
| Evidence tier | D — Cell, tissue or analytical |
| Publication types | Journal Article, 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
- Cellular
- 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.