Description
SS-31
Elamipretide (MTP-131)
A mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide that concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane and binds cardiolipin — stabilizing the electron transport chain, curbing reactive oxygen species, and restoring ATP output in stressed or aging cells.
A four-residue peptide engineered to do one thing — reach the mitochondrion and stabilize it.
| SS-31, known generically as elamipretide, is a Szeto–Schiller tetrapeptide developed at Cornell by Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller. Its alternating cationic and aromatic residues let it cross the cell membrane despite a strong positive charge and accumulate 1,000–5,000-fold at the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it binds cardiolipin — a phospholipid found almost nowhere else in the cell.
At Guardian Labs, SS-31 is supplied as a research-grade lyophilized powder, HPLC-verified above ninety-nine percent purity and lot-verified — supporting reproducible bioenergetic, oxidative-stress, and mitochondrial-function data. |
Cardiolipin sits almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane — an exquisitely specific molecular address that lets SS-31 reach the mitochondrion without any conventional targeting sequence.
|
Four steps — from the cytosol to a stabilized electron transport chain.
i
Mitochondrial TargetingDespite a formal +3 charge, SS-31 crosses membranes in an energy-independent manner and concentrates 1,000–5,000× at the inner mitochondrial membrane. |
ii
Cardiolipin BindingBinds cardiolipin, the signature phospholipid of the inner membrane — a highly specific address requiring no genetic targeting sequence. |
iii
ETC StabilizationStabilizes the electron transport chain supercomplexes that cardiolipin organizes — notably Complex IV — restoring efficient ATP synthesis. |
iv
ROS ReductionReduces reactive oxygen species, maintains membrane potential, and prevents lipid peroxidation under oxidative and aging stress. |
On the Cardiolipin Address
No other cellular membrane carries cardiolipin in significant quantity, so SS-31 finds the mitochondrion by chemistry alone — no targeting peptide, no transporter. This selectivity, arising from its alternating cationic–aromatic architecture, is precisely what makes it a benchmark mitochondrial tool compound across bioenergetics research.
Primary subjects of investigation — strictly laboratory use.
A.01
Mitochondrial DysfunctionStudies of bioenergetic decline, oxidative stress, and cardiolipin-dependent inner-membrane function in disease models. |
A.02
Cardiac & Heart FailureResearch into cardiac energetics, mitochondrial cardiomyopathy, and heart-failure models with preserved ejection fraction. |
A.03
Ischemia-ReperfusionInvestigating protection of mitochondrial function during ischemic and reperfusion injury in cardiac and renal tissue. |
A.04
Aging & Skeletal MuscleExamining age-related energetic deficits, muscle function, and mitochondrial resilience in aging models. |
Peer-reviewed literature supporting the research potential of this peptide.
| i. |
Mitochondrial-Targeted MechanismA foundational review by the peptide’s developer characterizing SS-31’s selective accumulation at the inner mitochondrial membrane and its interaction with cardiolipin as the basis of its cytoprotective activity. |
View on PubMed → |
| ii. |
Cardiolipin & Membrane BiophysicsBiophysical and computational work analyzing how SS-31 binds lipid bilayers and modulates surface electrostatics at the inner membrane — clarifying its molecular mechanism of action. |
View on PubMed → |
| iii. |
Cardiac Energetics & Heart FailurePreclinical research reporting that SS-31 improves mitochondrial respiration and cardiac function in models of heart failure and ischemia-reperfusion injury. |
View on PubMed → |
| iv. |
Primary Mitochondrial MyopathyClinical investigation of elamipretide in patients with primary mitochondrial myopathy, examining effects on exercise tolerance and muscle energetic capacity. |
View on PubMed → |
Certificate of analysis available upon request.
| Chemical Name | SS-31 · Elamipretide (MTP-131) |
| Sequence | D-Arg-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH₂ (D-Arg-2′,6′-dimethyl-Tyr-Lys-Phe amide) |
| Molecular Formula | C₃₂H₄₉N₉O₅ |
| Molecular Weight | 639.79 g/mol |
| CAS Number | 736992-21-5 |
| Molecular Target | Cardiolipin (inner mitochondrial membrane) |
| Format | Lyophilized Powder (Freeze-dried) |
| Vial Size | 50 mg |
| Purity | > 99% (HPLC Verified) |
| Storage | Store at −20°C · Protect from light |
| Reconstitution | Bacteriostatic Water |
All products listed are intended exclusively for laboratory research and development purposes. They are not intended for human consumption, diagnostic, or therapeutic use. Customers must be at least 21 years of age to purchase.
