5-Amino-1MQ
Small-molecule NNMT inhibitor
A small-molecule inhibitor of NNMT studied in fat-metabolism and mitochondrial research.
Also referenced as: 5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium
Overview
5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium (5-Amino-1MQ) is a synthetic small-molecule quinolinium compound. It is not a peptide. It was identified as a cell-permeable inhibitor of the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT).
At a glance
What 5-Amino-1MQ does
5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule, cell-permeable inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme that is highly expressed in white adipose tissue and elevated in obesity. Its central action in research is competitively blocking NNMT's active site, which does two coupled things: it stops the methylation of nicotinamide (a NAD+ precursor) into 1-methylnicotinamide, and it spares S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the methyl donor the reaction consumes. By preventing nicotinamide from being methylated away, more of it is available for the NAD+ salvage pathway, so intracellular NAD+ rises; by sparing SAM, cellular methylation potential increases. The net effect studied in adipocytes is a higher NAD+/SAM pool that shifts the cell toward increased energy expenditure rather than fat storage.
The evidence is primarily cell-culture and rodent. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, NNMT inhibition raised NAD+ roughly 1.2-1.6 fold and increased cellular energy expenditure. Mechanistic follow-up tied the raised SAM levels to elevated H3K4 histone methylation at promoters of favorable metabolic genes including PGC-1alpha (PPARGC1A), a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenic programs, providing a plausible NNMT to SAM to histone-methylation to gene-expression chain. In obese mice, repeated dosing produced reductions in body weight and shrinkage of adipocyte size and volume. There are no completed human clinical trials establishing efficacy or safety, so all functional claims remain preclinical and should be read that way.
Effects reported in research
- Competitively inhibits NNMT, the primary studied mechanism, reducing methylation of nicotinamide (in-vitro/animal).
- Raises intracellular NAD+ levels in adipocytes (~1.2-1.6 fold in 3T3-L1 cell studies).
- Spares S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), increasing cellular methylation capacity (in-vitro).
- Elevated H3K4 histone methylation at PGC-1alpha (PPARGC1A) and other favorable metabolic gene promoters in adipose tissue (mechanistic animal data).
- Upregulated thermogenic gene expression, shifting adipocytes toward energy expenditure over storage (preclinical).
- Reduced body weight and shrank adipocyte size/volume in obese mouse models with repeated dosing.
- No completed human clinical trials — all efficacy evidence is cell-culture and rodent only.
Effects listed reflect findings reported in the research literature — many in animal or in-vitro models. Listing an effect is not a claim of efficacy or a therapeutic indication in humans.
Mechanism of action
5-Amino-1MQ inhibits NNMT, the enzyme that methylates nicotinamide using S-adenosylmethionine. By inhibiting NNMT, it is proposed to preserve cellular nicotinamide and NAD+ pools and reduce a metabolic sink associated with adipocyte expansion. In preclinical rodent studies, NNMT inhibition has been associated with reduced adipose tissue mass and altered cellular energy metabolism.
Mechanistic description reflects published research-literature understanding. Much peptide research is preclinical (in-vitro or animal-model); mechanism in humans may differ and is not established for many compounds.
What it's studied for
Research contexts in which 5-Amino-1MQ appears in the literature. Listing a research area is not a claim of efficacy or a therapeutic indication.
Key characteristics
- A small molecule (quinolinium derivative), NOT a peptide
- Acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme NNMT
- Rationale is preservation of NAD+ / methyl-donor balance in metabolically active tissue
- Evidence to date is largely preclinical (cell and rodent models)
- No approved human therapeutic indication
Reported research dosing reference only
Educational reference, not dosing guidance. The figures below summarize amounts reported in published research and research-community protocols, provided for educational and research context only. They are not medical advice, not a recommendation, and not instructions for human use. 5-Amino-1MQ is a research compound.
Reported research dosing derives from rodent studies rather than established human protocols. Published preclinical work used systemic dosing in diet-induced-obese mice. These are figures reported for research context only, not dosing guidance for humans.
- Rodent (DIO mice) studies: reported at ~20 mg/kg, dosed three times daily systemically
- Human protocol dosing is not established in the literature
Small molecule (methylquinolinium salt), not a lyophilized peptide. Human dosing is not clinically established; treat all figures as research reference only.
How it compares
Distinct from the peptides in this group: it is an orally-oriented small-molecule enzyme inhibitor acting on NNMT, rather than a receptor- or fragment-based peptide.
Commonly studied alongside
Compounds frequently researched together with 5-Amino-1MQ in the literature. Cross-referenced for research context — not a usage or combination recommendation.
Compare and calculate
Side-by-side pages for the pairings the literature already documents for 5-Amino-1MQ, plus the unit-conversion reference for a reconstituted vial. Factual comparisons of documented characteristics — not a recommendation to combine or use any compound.
Handling & Stability
Storage and handling depend on the supplied form, which varies for this compound. Follow the supplier’s stated conditions and shelf life.
- Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles
- Verify supplier lot and Certificate of Analysis
- Follow institutional lab-safety protocols
Analytical & COA Concepts
Reputable research suppliers publish a third-party Certificate of Analysis per batch. Key analytical concepts referenced in COAs include:
Category Context
5-Amino-1MQ sits in the Metabolic & Mitochondrial area of the PeptiDex library.
- Entry type: Research compound reference
- Metabolic & Mitochondrial category hub →
- Browse the full library →
- Glossary of terms →
Where researchers source 5-Amino-1MQ
For researchers studying 5-Amino-1MQ, third-party suppliers such as Practically Natty Peptides offer research-grade material, third-party tests every batch and provides Certificates of Analysis on request, and ship from the US.
View research-supplier listing →
Outbound link to a third-party research supplier. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement; all editorial content is developed independently.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?
No. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule NNMT inhibitor, chemically a methylquinolinium (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) compound. It is often grouped with metabolic peptides in catalogs because of its fat-metabolism research context, but structurally it is a small molecule, not a peptide, and has no amino-acid sequence.
What is the mechanism of 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ competitively inhibits nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) at its catalytic site. NNMT consumes S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and methylates nicotinamide; inhibiting it is reported to raise intracellular SAM and NAD+ availability in adipocytes, shifting cells toward a more metabolically active, fat-oxidizing phenotype in preclinical models.
What is 5-Amino-1MQ studied for?
It is studied primarily in models of obesity and adipose-tissue metabolism, where NNMT is highly expressed in white/visceral fat. Preclinical rodent work reported reductions in body weight and fat mass with NNMT inhibition. Human clinical data remain limited, so findings are preclinical/mechanistic in nature.
How is 5-Amino-1MQ typically handled compared to a peptide?
Because it is a small molecule (a quinolinium salt), it does not require the same lyophilized-peptide handling and can be more chemically stable than injectable peptides. Research-grade material should still carry a COA with HPLC purity and identity data. Its small-molecule nature also underlies interest in oral research formats.
How does 5-Amino-1MQ differ from NAD+ boosters?
NAD+ precursors (like NR or NMN) supply substrate to raise NAD+ directly, whereas 5-Amino-1MQ works upstream by blocking NNMT, an enzyme that drains the methylation/SAM pool and is implicated in NAD+ salvage dynamics in fat. They target the same broad NAD+/SAM biology from different directions, which is why they are sometimes discussed together.
Answers are educational summaries of research-literature context and do not constitute medical advice. See the Research Library, COA guide, and Storage & Handling guide for more.
References
Primary literature indexed in PubMed for 5-Amino-1MQ. Listing a study records that it exists and is indexed — it is not a claim of efficacy, a therapeutic indication, or an endorsement of its conclusions. Much of this literature is preclinical (in-vitro or animal-model).
- Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice
Each reference was checked against its PubMed record on 2026-07-28: the PMID resolves and the title, journal and year match. Where no indexed literature exists for a compound, PeptiDex says so rather than substituting a citation about a different molecule. See the editorial policy.