MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis
Reynolds JC, Lai RW, Woodhead JST, et al. (2021). Nature Communications.
Summary
Reported that MOTS-c treatment improved physical performance in mice at three ages, and that starting intermittent treatment late in life increased physical capacity and healthspan. The authors link this to MOTS-c regulating nuclear genes involved in metabolism and protein quality control, to changes in skeletal muscle metabolism, and to how myoblasts adapt to metabolic stress. The human part of the paper is observational: exercise raised the body's own MOTS-c levels in skeletal muscle and in circulation. No MOTS-c was given to people.