Name: SS-31 10mg
Brand: RetaLABS.is
SKU: ss-31-10mg

Question 1

What is SS-31 (Elamipketide) used for in research?

Accepted Answer

SS-31 (Elamipketide) is researched as a mitochondria-targeted cardiolipin-stabilising peptide with utility across multiple disease models involving mitochondrial dysfunction. In cardiac research, SS-31 has been extensively studied in models of ischaemia-reperfusion injury (where it has been shown to reduce infarct size, preserve cardiac function, and limit oxidative damage during reperfusion in rodent and large animal models. Heart failure research has investigated SS-31's effects on mitochondrial ultrastructure and energetics in failing cardiomyocytes, where cristae disruption and reduced oxidative phosphorylation efficiency are well-documented features. Skeletal muscle research has examined SS-31 in models of sarcopenia and exercise-related mitochondrial fatigue. Renal research models include ischaemic acute kidney injury and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, where SS-31's mitochondrial protection has been studied as a nephroprotective intervention. Age-related mitochondrial decline research uses SS-31 to investigate whether cardiolipin stabilisation can restore mitochondrial function in aged tissues) providing a tool for studying the mitochondrial theory of ageing at the molecular level.

Question 2

How does SS-31 protect mitochondria?

Accepted Answer

SS-31 protects mitochondria primarily through its selective binding to cardiolipin (a tetra-acyl phospholipid found almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it is essential for cristae structure, electron transport chain organisation, and maintenance of membrane potential. By stabilising the cardiolipin-cytochrome c interaction, SS-31 prevents cytochrome c from adopting a peroxidase conformation (which generates reactive oxygen species and initiates apoptotic signalling) while maintaining its role as an electron shuttle in the respiratory chain. At the structural level, cardiolipin stabilisation by SS-31 preserves mitochondrial cristae morphology) the tightly folded inner membrane structures that house ATP synthase complexes and respiratory chain supercomplexes. Disruption of cristae architecture is an early event in mitochondrial stress and is associated with reduced ATP production efficiency. SS-31's dimethyltyrosine (Dmt) residue contributes an additional antioxidant function through electron donation, providing a scavenging capacity for reactive oxygen species generated at the electron transport chain under stress conditions.

Question 3

How should SS-31 be stored?

Accepted Answer

Store lyophilised SS-31 at −20°C, protected from light. SS-31's sequence (D-Arg-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH₂) contains a dimethyltyrosine (Dmt) residue, the tyrosine ring with two methyl groups added, which confers antioxidant activity but also introduces a degree of oxidative sensitivity under harsh oxidative conditions. Lyophilised storage at −20°C protects against this. The D-arginine residue provides protease resistance but does not introduce additional storage instability. Once reconstituted in sterile water or bacteriostatic water, store the solution at 2–8°C and use within four weeks. During active research, minimise exposure of reconstituted solutions to air and light between uses, as prolonged exposure can oxidise the Dmt residue and reduce antioxidant functional capacity in assays that depend on this property. For protocols requiring extended compound availability, prepare fresh reconstituted aliquots from the frozen lyophilised stock periodically rather than storing a large reconstituted volume indefinitely.

Question 4

What does the D-amino acid composition mean for stability?

Accepted Answer

SS-31 contains D-arginine (D-Arg) in its sequence, the stereoisomeric "mirror image" form of the naturally occurring L-arginine. D-amino acids are not substrates for most mammalian peptidases and proteases, which are stereoselective enzymes that recognise and cleave only L-amino acid-containing sequences. This resistance to enzymatic degradation significantly extends SS-31's effective half-life in biological research environments, cell culture media, tissue homogenates, and in vivo administration, compared to equivalent all-L sequences. In a cell-free in vitro system, the stability difference may be modest; but in cell culture or in vivo models where endogenous peptidases are abundant, the D-Arg confers a meaningful functional advantage. It is worth noting that only the arginine at position 1 in SS-31 is the D-form, the remaining residues (Dmt, Lys, Phe-NH₂) are standard L-amino acids or non-natural modifications. This targeted D-amino acid substitution strategy, pioneered by Szeto and Schiller (the "SS" in SS-31), is a common approach in research peptide design for improving stability without comprehensively altering the peptide backbone.

SS-31 10mg

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