What 5-Amino-1MQ is
5-Amino-1MQ is not a peptide — it is a small molecule, a quinolinium compound, and it is stocked here because it sits squarely in the same metabolic research as the mitochondrial peptides. Its relevance is as an inhibitor of a single enzyme: nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, or NNMT.
- 5-Amino-1MQSmall molecule, not a peptide
- NNMTCompetitive inhibition of the enzyme
- ↑ NAD+ salvage, ↓ 1-methylnicotinamideShifts adipocyte methylation flux
- Adipocyte metabolism modelsRodent and cell culture
Mechanism as described in published research. Nothing here describes an effect in a person — these compounds are supplied for laboratory research use only.
NNMT and the NAD+ salvage pathway
To see why an NNMT inhibitor is interesting, follow the nicotinamide. NAD+ is consumed as a substrate by sirtuins, PARPs and CD38, and each of those reactions releases nicotinamide. That nicotinamide is normally recycled back into NAD+ through the salvage pathway, which is what keeps the pool stable.
NNMT diverts it. The enzyme methylates nicotinamide to 1-methylnicotinamide, which exits the salvage pathway altogether. So NNMT activity is, in effect, a drain on the NAD+ pool — and inhibiting it is a way of asking what happens when that drain is closed. That is a genuinely different intervention from supplying more NAD+ precursor, and studies that use both are testing supply against loss.
NNMT is expressed particularly in adipose tissue and liver, which is why the literature concentrates on adipocyte metabolism. MOTS-c approaches the same metabolic space through AMPK signalling instead.
What the literature covers
Research areas include:
- NNMT enzyme inhibition — kinetics and selectivity.
- NAD+ salvage-pathway flux — loss versus supply.
- Adipocyte and hepatic metabolism, where NNMT is most expressed.
- 1-methylnicotinamide as a metabolite in its own right.
Identity and verification
5-Amino-1MQ has the molecular formula C10H11N2+ and a molecular weight of 159.21 g/mol (CAS 685079-15-6). Identifiers matter more here than in most categories: research compounds are sold under trade names, development codes and abbreviations that do not always refer to the same molecule, and a formula is unambiguous where a name is not.
The lot we currently hold measured 99.73% for the 10 mg (lot 261807), tested by Freedom Diagnostics. The certificate is published in full, including the raw chromatogram and mass spectrum — so the number can be read off the underlying trace rather than taken on trust.
We use two laboratories because purity and identity are different questions. Vanguard Laboratory is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited (A2LA #6377.01.01) and reports chromatographic purity and net quantity with a stated measurement uncertainty. Freedom Diagnostics reports HPLC-UV purity together with LC-MS identity confirmation — the test that catches a substituted compound rather than merely an impure one. A sample can be 99% pure and still be the wrong molecule. How we test →
Handling, reconstitution and storage
5-Amino-1MQ ships lyophilized — freeze-dried to a solid and sealed under vacuum — which is what makes it stable in transit rather than a solution racing a clock. Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water, added slowly down the inside wall of the vial rather than directly onto the powder, then swirled gently. Do not shake: mechanical shear is one of the few things that reliably degrades a peptide in the lab.
Final concentration is a function of the volume added, not of the compound, so the same vial can be prepared at very different concentrations. The reconstitution calculator works out the volume for a target concentration and the reconstitution guide covers the procedure. Store lyophilized vials at −20 °C (−4 °F) protected from light; refrigerate once in solution, and see the storage and stability guide for how long reconstituted material holds.
Common questions
Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?
No. It is a small-molecule quinolinium compound. It is grouped with research peptides because it appears in the same metabolic and NAD+ research, not because it is structurally similar.
What does NNMT do?
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase methylates nicotinamide to 1-methylnicotinamide, which removes it from the NAD+ salvage pathway. Functionally it acts as a drain on the NAD+ pool.
How is inhibiting NNMT different from supplying NAD+?
One closes a loss, the other adds supply. Studies using both are testing whether pool size is limited by production or by diversion, which are different questions with different answers.
Why does the literature focus on adipose tissue?
NNMT is expressed particularly in adipose tissue and liver, so that is where inhibiting it has the most measurable metabolic consequence.
Where to get it
Buy research-grade 5-Amino-1MQ — independently tested, certificate published, shipped from Miami with cold-chain packaging. Current pricing for every size is on the price list, and we ship worldwide.
Research use only
Everything referenced here is supplied strictly for laboratory research. These compounds are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or medical devices, are not for human or veterinary use, and are not approved for diagnostic or therapeutic application. Mechanisms are described as studied in preclinical and laboratory research; nothing above describes dosing, treatment or clinical outcome.
