5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule inhibitor of the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), developed by S. J. Watowich and colleagues at the University of Texas Medical Branch. It is a methylated quinolinium ion with the formula C10H11N2+, not a peptide, and every published study of it so far was done in cells or rodents.
Clean Peptide does not stock 5-Amino-1MQ. This page summarises the compound from published sources only: there is no price, no certificate and no order button.
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Related compounds we stock, each with its own certificate of analysis: MOTS-C and SS-31. For NAD+ biology, see our NAD+ explainer.
5-Amino-1MQ at a glance
| Name | 5-Amino-1MQ |
|---|---|
| Chemical name | 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium (1-methylquinolin-1-ium-5-amine) |
| Compound class | Small-molecule quaternary quinolinium cation. Not a peptide. |
| Molecular formula | C10H11N2+ (cation); C10H11IN2 (iodide salt) |
| Molecular weight | 159.21 g/mol (cation); 286.11 g/mol (iodide salt) |
| CAS number | 685079-15-6 (cation); 42464-96-0 (iodide salt) |
| PubChem CID | 950107 (cation); 66522933 (iodide salt) |
| SMILES | C[N+]1=CC=CC2=C(C=CC=C21)N |
| Target | Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), at the nicotinamide-binding site |
| Origin | Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston |
| Regulatory status | Not an approved drug; no FDA labelling and no registered clinical trials |
Identity data: PubChem CID 950107 and 66522933. Material sold as 5-Amino-1MQ is commonly the iodide salt, so check which form a certificate describes.
How 5-Amino-1MQ works: NNMT inhibition
NNMT moves a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) onto nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA). That uses up two things cells also need elsewhere: nicotinamide, a precursor for NAD+, and SAM, the main methyl donor. In 2014, Kraus et al. showed that NNMT is strongly expressed in the fat and liver of obese mice, and that knocking it down raised SAM and NAD+ in adipose tissue.
5-Amino-1MQ comes out of a medicinal-chemistry series built to block that enzyme. In 2017 the Watowich group screened N-methylated heteroaromatic compounds and found the quinoliniums most promising, with NNMT inhibition around IC50 1 µM. Their 2018 follow-up reported that the amine-substituted methylquinoliniums cross membranes readily, did not inhibit related SAM-dependent methyltransferases or NAD+ salvage enzymes, and in cultured fat cells lowered 1-MNA while raising intracellular NAD+ and SAM.
Published research on 5-Amino-1MQ
Several of these papers say only “NNMT inhibitor” in their abstracts. The open-access full texts identify the compound as 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium. All of the work is in cells, mice or rats. No human study has been published.
- The chemical series (in vitro, 2017). Quinolinium analogues inhibited NNMT at around 1 µM, and docking scores at the nicotinamide site tracked the measured IC50 values. Structure-Activity Relationship for Small Molecule Inhibitors of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase. Neelakantan H, et al. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2017.
- Selectivity, adipocytes and diet-induced obese mice (2018). Beyond the selectivity and adipocyte results above, the authors report that in mice on a high-fat diet, systemic treatment lowered body weight, white adipose mass, adipocyte size and plasma total cholesterol, with no change in total food intake. Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice. Neelakantan H, et al. Biochemical Pharmacology, 2018.
- Aged muscle after injury (mice, 2019). In 24-month-old mice with a chemically induced muscle injury, treated animals showed more muscle stem-cell proliferation and fusion, roughly two-fold larger fibre cross-sections and about 70% higher peak torque in the injured muscle than saline controls. In C2C12 myoblasts the inhibitor promoted differentiation, with shifts in NAD+/NADH redox state. Small molecule nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibitor activates senescent muscle stem cells and improves regenerative capacity of aged skeletal muscle. Neelakantan H, et al. Biochemical Pharmacology, 2019.
- Combined with a diet switch (mice, 2021). In diet-induced obese mice, adding the inhibitor to a lean-diet substitution changed body weight and fat faster and further than the diet change alone, and brought body composition and liver fat to the level of lean-diet controls. Adipose metabolomics showed changes in energy-metabolism metabolites. Combined nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition and reduced-calorie diet normalizes body composition and enhances metabolic benefits in obese mice. Sampson CM, et al. Scientific Reports, 2021.
- Exercise in aged mice (2024). Over eight weeks, treated sedentary aged mice had about 40% greater grip strength than sedentary controls, exercised mice about 20%, and the combination about 60%. Each intervention left a distinct signature in the muscle proteome and metabolome. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mimics and boosts exercise-mediated improvements in muscle function in aged mice. Dimet-Wiley AL, et al. Scientific Reports, 2024.
- Measuring it in plasma (rats, 2021). A validated LC-MS/MS assay for 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium in rat plasma and urine (linear from 10 to 2,500 ng/mL) supports the compound’s pharmacokinetic work. Development & validation of LC-MS/MS assay for 5-amino-1-methyl quinolinium in rat plasma: Application to pharmacokinetic and oral bioavailability studies. Awosemo O, et al. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2021.
NNMT research with other tools
Two other groups have studied NNMT with different molecules, which helps separate what belongs to the target from what belongs to 5-Amino-1MQ itself:
- Kannt et al. reported a different inhibitor, JBSNF-000088, whose effects in obese mice disappeared in NNMT-knockout mice. A small molecule inhibitor of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase for the treatment of metabolic disorders. Kannt A, et al. Scientific Reports, 2018.
- van Haren et al. built transition-state-mimicking bisubstrate inhibitors to map the NNMT active site. Inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase designed to mimic the methylation reaction transition state. van Haren MJ, et al. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2017.
- The genetic starting point: Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity. Kraus D, et al. Nature, 2014.
Regulatory status
5-Amino-1MQ is not an approved medicine. DailyMed has no labelling for it under either name and ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trials. The literature describes it as an NNMT-selective probe compound for research.
Related research on Clean Peptide
- What is NAD+ (and why it is not a peptide): the cofactor NNMT inhibition is studied alongside.
- SLU-PP-332: another small molecule often sold as a “peptide”.
- MOTS-C and SS-31: mitochondrial research peptides we stock, with per-lot certificates.
- How to read a certificate of analysis.
