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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · mouse · 2022

7 results

MOTS-c increases in skeletal muscle following long-term physical activity and improves acute exercise performance after a single dose.

Hyatt JK

Physiological reports1 Jul 2022Cited by 17 (Europe PMC)

PMID35808870 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC9270643 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.14814/phy2.15377 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-35808870
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Summary

Skeletal muscle adapts to aerobic exercise training, in part, through fast-to-slow phenotypic shifts and an expansion of mitochondrial networks. Recent research suggests that the local and systemic benefits of exercise training also may be modulated by the mitochondrial-derived peptide, MOTS-c. Using a combination of acute and chronic exercise challenges, the goal of the present study was to characterize the interrelationship between MOTS-c and exercise. Compared to sedentary controls, 4-8 weeks of voluntary running increased MOTS-c protein expression ~1.5-5-fold in rodent plantaris, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles and is sustained for 4-6 weeks of detraining. This MOTS-c increase coincides with elevations in mtDNA reflecting an expansion of the mitochondrial genome to aerobic training. In a second experiment, a single dose (15 mg/kg) of MOTS-c administered to untrained mice improved total running time (12% increase) and distance (15% increase) during an acute exercise test. In a final experiment, MOTS-c protein translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in two of six mouse soleus muscles 1 h following a 90-min downhill running challenge; no nuclear translocation was observed in the plantaris muscles from the same animals. These findings indicate that MOTS-c protein accumulates within trained skeletal muscle likely through a concomitant increase in mtDNA. Furthermore, these data suggest that the systemic benefits of exercise are, in part, mediated by an expansion of the skeletal muscle-derived MOTS-c protein pool. The benefits of training may persist into a period of inactivity (e.g., detraining) resulting from a sustained increase in intramuscular MOTS-c proteins levels.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study7

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In untrained mice, a single dose of MOTS‑c improved total running time in an acute exercise test.

    In plain wordsIn untrained mice, a single dose of MOTS‑c increased running time in an exercise test.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    IncreaseTotal running time in an acute exercise test
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
    Studied dose
    15 mg/kg · single doseAs given in this study (mouse).

    Measurements

    Total running time increase
    12%
    MOTS-c 15 mg/kg

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In a second experiment, a single dose (15 mg/kg) of MOTS-c administered to untrained mice improved total running time (12% increase) and distance (15% increase) during an acute exercise test.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In untrained mice, a single dose of MOTS‑c improved running distance in an acute exercise test.

    In plain wordsIn untrained mice, a single dose of MOTS‑c increased running distance in an exercise test.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    IncreaseRunning distance in an acute exercise test
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal
    Studied dose
    15 mg/kg · single doseAs given in this study (mouse).

    Measurements

    Running distance increase
    15%
    MOTS-c 15 mg/kg

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In a second experiment, a single dose (15 mg/kg) of MOTS-c administered to untrained mice improved total running time (12% increase) and distance (15% increase) during an acute exercise test.

Natural levels measured5

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 03AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In mice, the body's own MOTS‑c protein moved from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in two of six soleus muscles 1 h after a downhill running challenge.

    In plain wordsIn mice, the body's own MOTS‑c protein moved into the cell nucleus in two of six soleus muscles after downhill running.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    IncreaseMOTS-c nuclear translocation in soleus muscle after downhill running
    Study

    mousen = 6

    Outcome group
    Mitochondrial function · Musculoskeletal

    Source sentences

    Summary
    MOTS-c protein translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in two of six mouse soleus muscles 1 h following a 90-min downhill running challenge

    This result measures the body's own MOTS-c. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  2. 04AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Other

    In rodents, 4-8 weeks of voluntary running increased the body's own MOTS‑c protein in plantaris, medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles compared with sedentary controls.

    In plain wordsIn rodents, weeks of running raised the body's own MOTS‑c protein in leg muscles compared with sedentary animals.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    IncreaseSkeletal muscle MOTS-c protein after voluntary running
    Study

    rodentn: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Sedentary controls
    Outcome group
    Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal

    Measurements

    MOTS-c protein expression change
    1.5 to 5-fold
    voluntary running vs sedentary

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Compared to sedentary controls, 4-8 weeks of voluntary running increased MOTS-c protein expression ~1.5-5-fold in rodent plantaris, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles

    This result measures the body's own MOTS-c. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  3. 05AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Other

    In rodents, the running-induced rise in the body's own MOTS‑c protein in muscle was sustained for 4-6 weeks of detraining.

    In plain wordsIn rodents, the rise in the body's own MOTS‑c protein in muscle after running lasted for weeks after training stopped.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    IncreaseSkeletal muscle MOTS-c protein during detraining
    Study

    rodentn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Exercise and physical function · Musculoskeletal

    Source sentences

    Summary
    is sustained for 4-6 weeks of detraining.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Compared to sedentary controls, 4-8 weeks of voluntary running increased MOTS-c protein expression ~1.5-5-fold in rodent plantaris, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior muscles and is sustained for 4-6 weeks of detraining.

    This result measures the body's own MOTS-c. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  4. 06AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Other

    In rodents, the training-induced rise in the body's own MOTS‑c in muscle coincided with elevated mtDNA.

    In plain wordsIn rodents, the rise in the body's own MOTS‑c in muscle after training went together with more mitochondrial DNA.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    IncreaseSkeletal muscle mtDNA after training
    Study

    rodentn: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Mitochondrial function · Musculoskeletal

    Source sentences

    Summary
    This MOTS-c increase coincides with elevations in mtDNA reflecting an expansion of the mitochondrial genome to aerobic training.

    This result measures the body's own MOTS-c. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  5. 07AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In mice, no nuclear translocation of the body's own MOTS‑c was observed in plantaris muscles from the same animals after the downhill running challenge.

    In plain wordsIn mice, the body's own MOTS‑c did not move into the cell nucleus in plantaris muscles after downhill running.

    Peptide
    MOTS-c
    Outcome
    No significant changeMOTS-c nuclear translocation in plantaris muscle after downhill running
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Mitochondrial function · Musculoskeletal

    Source sentences

    Summary
    no nuclear translocation was observed in the plantaris muscles from the same animals.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    MOTS-c protein translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in two of six mouse soleus muscles 1 h following a 90-min downhill running challenge

    This result measures the body's own MOTS-c. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    9 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:47 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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