Education
What Is SS-31?
The mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide (elamipretide) — how cardiolipin binding gets it where other compounds can't go, and what that enables.
SS-31, known in the clinical literature as elamipretide, is a four-residue peptide with a property most molecules can only envy: it concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it associates with cardiolipin — the phospholipid that organises the respiratory machinery.
What is SS-31?
SS-31 belongs to a family of aromatic-cationic peptides engineered to accumulate in mitochondria regardless of membrane potential. Its cardiolipin association places it physically at the site where electron transport happens — which is why it became one of the defining tools of mitochondrial-function research rather than another compound that stops at the cell membrane.
What researchers study it for
Protocols use SS-31 to probe mitochondrial membrane integrity, respiratory efficiency, and oxidative stress at the organelle itself. It pairs naturally with MOTS-C — the two approach mitochondrial biology from opposite directions, one as a targeted membrane peptide, one as a mitochondrially-encoded signal — and with NAD+ on the energetics side. Together they form the catalogue's cellular-energy cluster, mapped as a set in the cellular-energy research toolkit.
Working with research-grade SS-31
REPRIME supplies SS-31 as a lyophilized 20 mg vial, HPLC-verified per batch with a public COA and a first-scan verification code. See the SS-31 product page for current batch documentation. Research use only.
Frequently asked questions
What is SS-31?
An aromatic-cationic tetrapeptide (elamipretide) that concentrates in the inner mitochondrial membrane and binds cardiolipin — a key probe in mitochondrial-function research.
What makes SS-31 different from other antioxidant-research compounds?
Location. Most compounds distribute broadly; SS-31 accumulates specifically at the mitochondrial inner membrane, so its effects report on the organelle rather than the whole cell.
How is research-grade SS-31 supplied?
As a lyophilized 20 mg vial with batch HPLC verification, a public COA, and a verification code — see the product page.