What is SS-31, and what is it studied for?

What is the structure of SS-31?

Four residues: a D-arginine, 2,6-dimethyltyrosine, lysine and phenylalanine, C-amidated. The D-configuration and the non-natural dimethyltyrosine are what make it resistant to peptidases; neither is visible to mass spectrometry, so the certificate confirms mass and composition, not chirality. Two cationic residues give a net positive charge that drives mitochondrial accumulation.

Identifier	Value
Molecular formula	C32H49N9O5
Molecular weight	639.8 g/mol
Residues	4
CAS number	736992-21-5
PubChem CID	11764719
Current lot	SS31-10-0803

How is SS-31 thought to work?

Binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane and is reported to stabilise cristae structure and electron-transport efficiency, reducing electron leak; Birk and colleagues described the cardiolipin interaction in 2013 and Szeto reviewed the pharmacology in 2014. It is not a free-radical scavenger in the usual sense; its described action is structural.

Which research areas use SS-31?

Area	Typical models and endpoints
Mitochondrial bioenergetics	Oxygen consumption, ATP production and membrane-potential assays in isolated mitochondria and cells.
Cardiolipin interaction	Lipid-binding and cristae-structure studies.
Ischaemia-reperfusion models	Rodent kidney and heart models of oxidative injury.
Mitochondrial-peptide comparisons	Side-by-side work with MOTS-c and humanin, which act by different mechanisms.

What does the published literature show?

Birk et al. (Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2013) and Szeto (British Journal of Pharmacology, 2014) describe the mechanism in cells and rodents. Clinical development as elamipretide led to FDA accelerated approval on 19 September 2025 for a rare mitochondrial disorder; those trials describe a regulated pharmaceutical product and are context only. Research use of the material here is in-vitro and preclinical.

How is SS-31 handled in the laboratory?

Dissolves readily in water. The dimethyltyrosine is light-sensitive; protect solutions from light. No cysteine or methionine. Store lyophilized at minus 20 °C; aliquot and freeze; use low-binding tubes for cationic peptides at low concentration. The concentration table covers volumes and syringe units; the storage guide covers stability by compound class.

What does the current certificate show?

Lot SS31-10-0803 tested at 99.77% purity by RP-HPLC (214 nm), identity confirmed by LC-MS/MS, endotoxin <0.05 EU/mL. The certificate is in the COA library and the lot number on the vial matches it. Sold as 10 mg per vial at $70, for laboratory research only.

Certificate history for SS-31

Every certificate the library holds for this compound, newest first. A replaced lot stays listed so the history can be read; the certificate dataset reads all 114 together.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Birk AV, Liu S, Soong Y, et al. The mitochondrial-targeted compound SS-31 re-energizes ischemic mitochondria by interacting with cardiolipin. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013;24(8):1250-1261.
2. Szeto HH. First-in-class cardiolipin-protective compound as a therapeutic agent to restore mitochondrial bioenergetics. Br J Pharmacol. 2014;171(8):2029-2050.
3. PubChem CID 11764719, Elamipretide. National Library of Medicine. Read 2 October 2026.

Clinical results cited above describe regulated trials of pharmaceutical products and are given as context for research interest only. Nothing on this page describes or recommends use of the material sold here in humans or animals.