MOTS-C (Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the Twelve S rRNA Type-C) is a 16-amino acid peptide encoded within the 12S rRNA gene of mitochondrial DNA. It was identified as a signaling molecule that functions as a mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP), representing a novel class of retrograde signaling factors from mitochondria to the nucleus. In preclinical research models, MOTS-C is studied for its activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its influence on downstream metabolic signaling cascades. Experimental systems examine its effects on glucose metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and folate-methionine cycle dynamics in in-vitro cell culture and in-vivo animal models. Published laboratory findings describe MOTS-C as a regulator of metabolic homeostasis in preclinical systems, with observations related to insulin sensitivity markers, skeletal muscle metabolism, and stress-response signaling under controlled experimental conditions. Its mitochondrial origin positions it as a unique research tool for studying organelle-to-nucleus communication pathways. Sequence: Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg Molecular Formula: C₁₀₁H₁₅₂N₂₈O₂₂S₂ Molecular Weight: 2174.64 g/mol Supplied exclusively for non-clinical laboratory research. Not for human consumption.