As mice get older, their bodies make less of a peptide called MOTS-c, especially in muscles and blood—and when they fast, levels drop too, hinting that this peptide responds to energy needs.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance

Randomized Controlled Trial

Animal

2015 Mar 3

The study shows that a tiny molecule from mitochondria (MOTS-c) helps mice stay metabolically healthy as they age, and giving more of it fixes age-related problems—suggesting that losing this molecule over time might cause those problems.

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Source Study

The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance

Score: 13

DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.02.009

Similar Assertions

When mice fasted, MOTS-c levels dropped in muscles and blood but stayed the same in brain and heart.

82%

Old mice that got MOTS-c injections responded to insulin just as well as young mice, meaning the peptide might fix the insulin resistance that comes with aging.

74%

MOTS-c injections made muscle cells more responsive to insulin by activating AMPK and increasing GLUT4, which helps move glucose into cells.

71%

MOTS-c made muscle cells produce more GLUT4 (a sugar transporter) and turned on AMPK (an energy sensor), two key players in how muscles use sugar.

71%