Comparison

Melanotan I vs SS-31

Function

While Melanotan I is approved in some regions for prevention of phototoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria and is studied as a skin-darkening, photoprotective peptide3444, SS-31 improves mitochondrial bioenergetics, reduces oxidative stress, and shows protective effects in models of ischemia-reperfusion, neurodegeneration, and other mitochondrial disorders4637137.

Mechanism

While Melanotan I works as a linear 13-amino-acid analog of α-MSH (afamelanotide) that selectively activates MC1R on melanocytes, increasing eumelanin synthesis and providing photoprotection3444, SS-31 is a mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide, d-Arg-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2, that selectively binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane, stabilizing cristae structure, improving electron transport, and reducing ROS production4637137143.

Length and Sequence

Melanotan I is 13 amino acids long, whereas SS-31 is shorter as it has a length of 4 amino acids. Melanotan I is made up of a sequence of Serine, Tyrosine, Serine, Nle, Glutamic acid, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Tryptophan, Glycine, Lysine, Proline, Valine. SS-31 is made up of a sequence of Arginine, dimethylTyr, Lysine, Phenylalanine.

Receptor

Melanotan I

Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) 344481

SS-31

Cardiolipin-rich inner mitochondrial membrane; interacts with cardiolipin and associated mitochondrial proteins rather than a classical cell-surface receptor46137143

Organism or Origin

Melanotan I

Synthetic analog of human α-MSH derived from POMC34448190

SS-31

Fully synthetic Szeto–Schiller tetrapeptide; not encoded in the genome4637

Gene

Melanotan I

POMC

SS-31

Not assigned in the current dataset.

Related articles

No related articles are linked to these peptides yet.

Sources

34Melanotan I (Afamelanotide): Research Profile - PeptideJournal, https://www.peptidejournal.org/peptides/melanotan-i-research-profile
44Melanotan I: properties, applications and references, https://www.benchchem.com/zh/product/b1666627
81Proopiomelanocortin (POMC), the ACTH/melanocortin precursor, is ..., https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2253185/
90alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone: production and degradation, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3936413/
46Discovery of novel SS-31 (d-Arg-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2 ... - PMC, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11409442/
56Discovery of novel SS-31 (d-Arg-dimethylTyr-Lys-Phe-NH2 ..., https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/ra/d4ra05517a
137Mitochondrial protein interaction landscape of SS-31 | PNAS, https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2002250117
143SS-31 Peptide: Mitochondrial Repair for Energy and Longevity, https://revolutionhealth.org/blogs/news/peptide-therapy-ss-31