Melanotan I 10 mg

Specification

MC1R and melanogenesis

Afamelanotide, sold as Melanotan I, is a linear peptide modelled on natural alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). Substitutions at position 4 (norleucine) and position 7 (D-phenylalanine) stabilise the helix and extend receptor occupancy relative to the wild-type peptide. The melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) is expressed on melanocytes and, through cAMP, drives expression of melanogenic enzymes such as tyrosinase and TRP1. In cell-based models and receptor overexpression systems, Melanotan I serves as a defined agonist for titrating MC1R signal strength, downstream phosphorylation and pigmentation markers. Against broader melanocortin ligands, the receptor focus remains on MC1R. Laboratories that buy Melanotan 1 receive afamelanotide as a linear MC1R ligand at 10 mg per vial.

Reconstitution and handling

The lyophilized powder is reconstituted in the laboratory with a suitable sterile solvent. Add the solvent slowly along the vial wall and mix gently until the peptide has dissolved fully. Afamelanotide is sensitive to light, so the working solution is transferred into assays promptly and kept away from direct illumination until then. Concentration and aliquoting follow the protocol of the laboratory running the work.

In-vitro research

In in-vitro work, laboratories use Melanotan I as a reference ligand in competitive binding studies and cAMP reporter assays at MC1R. Melanocyte cell lines and primary cultures allow tracking of melanogenic genes and pigmentation under a defined ligand concentration. Radiation biology and photobiology models use afamelanotide to characterise light-induced stress pathways and melanocyte responses independently of UV quantum flux. Membrane preparations and recombinant MC1R systems suit affinity comparisons with other α-MSH analogues. High purity supports reproducible dilution series for concentration-response curves.

Quality and analytics

Each batch is checked for purity by HPLC, and the content sits at ≥99 %. An identity test confirms the peptide sequence of afamelanotide. Results are recorded per batch. This analytical base supports comparison of measurement series across experiments and the reproducibility of MC1R assays in the laboratory.