Mots-C
Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c, MT-RNR1, Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c
The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c is a regulator of plasma metabolites and enhances insulin sensitivity.
Kim. Su-Jeong SJ; Miller. Brendan B; Mehta. Hemal H HH; Xiao. Jialin J; Wan. Junxiang J; Arpawong. Thalida E TE; Yen. Kelvin K; Cohen. Pinchas P
Key Findings
- MOTS‑c lowers plasma sphingolipid, monoacylglycerol, and dicarboxylate metabolites that are typically high in obesity and type‑2 diabetes
- MOTS‑c improves insulin sensitivity and boosts beta‑oxidation, reducing fat buildup in diet‑induced obese mice
- These metabolic changes are linked to reduced body weight and less fatty liver in the mouse model
Practical Outcomes
- MOTS‑c looks promising as a future anti‑obesity or insulin‑sensitizing supplement, but there’s no human dosing or safety data yet. For now, biohackers should watch for clinical trials before considering it, and focus on proven strategies like diet, exercise, and existing supplements.
Summary
A tiny protein called MOTS‑c, made in mitochondria, was given to obese mice and it helped them become more insulin‑sensitive, burn more fat, and lower certain blood fats that are usually high in obesity and diabetes. The study shows how MOTS‑c changes specific metabolic pathways, but it’s only been tested in mice, not people.
Abstract
MOTS-c is an exercise mimetic and improves insulin sensitivity in aged and diet-induced obese mice. Although plasma markers are good markers for the metabolic condition, whether MOTS-c changes plasma markers in diet-induced obese mice has not been examined. Here, we used an unbiased metabolomics approach to examine the effect of MOTS-c on plasma markers of metabolic dysfunction. We found that three pathways - sphingolipid metabolism, monoacylglycerol metabolism, and dicarboxylate metabolism - were reduced in MOTS-c-injected mice. Interestingly, these pathways are upregulated in obese and T2D models. MOTS-c improves insulin sensitivity and increases beta-oxidation to prevent fat accumulation in DIO mice through these pathways. These results provide us a better understanding of the mechanism of how MOTS-c improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the body weight and fatty liver and opens a new venue for further study.
Study Information
pubmed
2019
2019-07-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.14814/phy2.14171
46
46