MOTS-c

Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c

MOTS-c is a tiny 16-amino-acid peptide with a remarkable origin — it is encoded not in the cell's nucleus but inside the mitochondria themselves. Discovered in 2015, it belongs to a small family of mitochondrial-derived peptides and has been dubbed a mitochondrial hormone or mitokine. It sits at the intersection of metabolism, exercise, and the biology of aging.