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.
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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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| iv. |
Primary Mitochondrial MyopathyClinical investigation of elamipretide in patients with primary mitochondrial myopathy, examining effects on exercise tolerance and muscle energetic capacity. |
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 |
