5-Amino-1MQ: The One in This Catalogue That Is Not a Peptide
Everything else here is amino acids. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule that inhibits NNMT — an enzyme whose knockdown protected mice against diet-induced obesity in a 2014 Nature paper. Different chemistry, different handling, different research questions.
- 5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), not a peptide — it is supplied as a powder and behaves differently in handling and solubility.
- NNMT methylates nicotinamide, consuming both a NAD+ precursor and a methyl donor; inhibiting it is studied as a route to influencing cellular NAD+ availability.
- The foundational result is Kraus et al., Nature 2014;508:258 — NNMT knockdown protected mice against diet-induced obesity.
- Research interest sits at the intersection of metabolic research and NAD+ biology, which is why it is frequently studied alongside NAD+ itself.
- Popular Peptides supplies 5-Amino-1MQ at greater than 99% purity with a batch-specific third-party certificate of analysis.
- For in vitro laboratory research use only — not for human or veterinary consumption.
Not a peptide, and that changes things
Nearly everything in this catalogue is a chain of amino acids. 5-Amino-1MQ is not. It is a small molecule — a quinolinium compound — and that difference is practical, not pedantic.
Small molecules have different solubility behaviour, different stability characteristics and different handling requirements from lyophilised peptides. If you are used to reconstituting peptides with bacteriostatic water and moving on, this one warrants reading the batch documentation before you plan the protocol.
The enzyme it targets, and why anyone cares
5-Amino-1MQ inhibits **nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT)**.
NNMT does something metabolically expensive: it methylates nicotinamide, and in doing so it consumes two things at once — a **NAD+ precursor** and a **methyl donor** (S-adenosylmethionine). Elevated NNMT activity therefore draws down two separate cellular resources simultaneously.
Inhibiting it is studied as a route to influencing NAD+ availability from the other direction: rather than supplying more precursor, reduce the enzyme consuming it.
That places 5-Amino-1MQ in a direct relationship with the rest of the NAD+ space. Researchers frequently study it alongside NAD+ itself and mitochondrial compounds such as MOTS-c, because the questions overlap. Our reference library has the molecular detail for all three.
The paper the whole field points to
The foundational result is **Kraus et al., "Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity," Nature 2014;508:258.**
Knocking down NNMT in mice protected them against diet-induced obesity. That single finding is what turned NNMT from an obscure methyltransferase into a metabolic research target, and it is why small-molecule NNMT inhibitors exist at all.
Read it for what it is: a knockdown study in mice, not a demonstration that a particular inhibitor does anything comparable in any other system. That gap — between validated target and validated compound — is exactly the space active research occupies, and it is the honest reason to be interested rather than certain.
Buying a small molecule: the checks differ slightly
The documentation still matters, and for a non-peptide the identity confirmation matters more, not less — small molecules are cheap to synthesise and easy to substitute.
- —**HPLC for purity, LC-MS for identity**, run by an independent third-party lab, not by us.
- —**Published-batch purity averaging above 99%** across the batches we publish.
- —**Enter your lot number** to read the certificate of analysis for your exact container, or review all published results before ordering.
And the logistics: **shipped from Vancouver, BC**, typically 2 to 5 business days, tracked, insured, discreet packaging, Canadian dollars, free shipping over $300 CAD. No customs, no border seizure, no waiting weeks to learn whether an overseas parcel cleared. Most research compounds bought in Canada arrive from abroad and take that risk on every order. Ours do not cross a border.
Frequently asked questions
What is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). It is not a peptide — it is a quinolinium compound supplied as a powder — and is provided for in vitro laboratory research use only.
What does NNMT do?
NNMT methylates nicotinamide, consuming both a NAD+ precursor and a methyl donor in the process. Elevated NNMT activity therefore draws down two cellular resources at once, which is why inhibiting it is studied in relation to NAD+ availability.
What is the main research behind 5-Amino-1MQ?
The foundational finding is Kraus et al., Nature 2014;508:258, which reported that NNMT knockdown protected mice against diet-induced obesity. That result established NNMT as a metabolic research target. It is a knockdown study in mice, not a demonstration of what any specific inhibitor does in other systems.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?
No. It is a small molecule, which means its solubility, stability and handling characteristics differ from the lyophilised peptides in this catalogue. Check the batch documentation before planning a protocol.
Where can I buy 5-Amino-1MQ in Canada?
Popular Peptides supplies 5-Amino-1MQ for laboratory research use, shipped domestically from Vancouver, BC with a third-party certificate of analysis verifiable by lot number. It is not sold for human or veterinary consumption.
5-Amino-1MQ is supplied for in vitro laboratory research use only. It is not approved by Health Canada for therapeutic use and is not intended for human or veterinary consumption. 18+.
Every batch we sell is independently third-party tested, with the full Certificate of Analysis published and checkable by lot number.