5-Amino-1MQ is the common shorthand for 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium, a cationic quinolinium small molecule studied as an inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). It is not a peptide, and its salt form must be stated whenever mass or molar concentration is reported.
What Are the Key 5-Amino-1MQ Research Specifications?
| Specification | Research record |
|---|---|
| Compound | 5-Amino-1MQ |
| Category | misc |
| Listed purity | >99% |
| Molecular weight | 159.21 g/mol for the cation; salt-dependent |
| Intended use | Laboratory research only |
What Is the Chemical Identity of 5-Amino-1MQ?
The parent cation has formula C10H11N2+ and an average molecular mass of 159.21 g/mol. Research material is commonly supplied with a counterion; the iodide salt, for example, has a formula mass near 286.11 g/mol. A label that reports only “5-Amino-1MQ” is therefore insufficient for molar calculations. The counterion, formula, exact mass and water content should be taken from the lot-specific certificate.
How Does 5-Amino-1MQ Work in Research Models?
NNMT transfers a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide and S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine. 5-Amino-1MQ has been used as a chemical probe to reduce this flux. Mechanistic studies should measure target engagement or pathway-proximal readouts—NNMT activity, 1-methylnicotinamide, SAM/SAH balance and NAD-related metabolites—rather than infer NNMT inhibition from body mass or a single viability endpoint.
Published evidence is preclinical. Mouse studies have reported changes in adiposity, glucose handling and hepatic phenotypes, but those outcomes do not establish efficacy or safety in humans.
How Should a 5-Amino-1MQ Study Be Designed?
Include vehicle controls, a concentration-response series and an orthogonal NNMT perturbation such as knockdown or a structurally unrelated inhibitor. Because a permanently charged quinolinium compound can show assay- and transporter-dependent exposure, confirm intracellular concentration when comparing cell types. Record whether results are normalized to the cation or the complete salt.
How Should 5-Amino-1MQ Be Handled and Verified?
Verify identity by LC-MS and, for a reference standard, NMR. HPLC area purity alone does not establish counterion identity or absolute content. Prepare stocks using solubility data for the specified salt, document pH and vehicle concentration, protect from light, and establish solution stability under the actual assay conditions. Use a fresh mass balance after correcting for counterion, water and residual solvent.
Which Sources Support 5-Amino-1MQ Research?
- Neelakantan et al., NNMT inhibition and metabolic phenotypes in diet-induced obese mice, Scientific Reports (2018), DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22432-2.
- PubChem compound record for the 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium cation: CID 950107.
How Can 5-Amino-1MQ Results Be Interpreted Without Overclaiming?
The strongest 5-Amino-1MQ evidence connects identity to mechanism to phenotype in that order. For 5-Amino-1MQ, chemical identity, target engagement and downstream phenotype are separate layers. A change in migration, viability or gene expression does not by itself prove the proposed molecular target. A useful study includes an orthogonal analytical identity check, a target-dependent perturbation and a second assay that measures the same biology by a different method. This design makes a positive result easier to reproduce and a negative result easier to interpret.
For citation-ready 5-Amino-1MQ reporting, provide raw concentration units, biological replicate counts, prespecified exclusions and the exact time point. Separate exploratory endpoints from confirmatory ones. If exposure was not measured, describe potency as nominal rather than intracellular or free concentration. Limit the conclusion to the model used; avoid converting a pathway observation into a claim about clinical benefit.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ for Research Use Only?
5-Amino-1MQ is supplied for laboratory research only. It is not for human or veterinary use.
What Are Common Questions About 5-Amino-1MQ?
What is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ is the common shorthand for 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium, a cationic quinolinium small molecule studied as an inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). It is not a peptide, and its salt form must be stated whenever mass or molar concentration is reported.
How should researchers verify 5-Amino-1MQ?
Confirm the exact molecular form on the lot certificate and pair chromatographic purity with an orthogonal identity method such as mass spectrometry or NMR. Use the molecular weight, counterion and content stated for that verified form when calculating molarity.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ intended for human use?
5-Amino-1MQ is listed for controlled laboratory research only. It is not intended for human or veterinary use.