What is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule selective inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), the enzyme that methylates nicotinamide as part of NAD+ salvage and consumption pathways. Studied in muscle stem-cell, adipose-metabolism, and ageing-biology research contexts as a research tool for dissecting NNMT-pathway biology.
What the research literature says
5-Amino-1MQ is not a peptide — it is a small-molecule chemical inhibitor with a quinolinium scaffold. The compound inhibits NNMT, a cytosolic enzyme that catalyses transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide and S-adenosylhomocysteine. NNMT activity is the rate-limiting consumer of nicotinamide in tissues where the enzyme is highly expressed (notably liver, adipose tissue, and certain tumour types).
Elevated NNMT activity has been implicated in adipose-tissue dysfunction, muscle stem-cell dysfunction in ageing, and tumour-promoting metabolic reprogramming. The Dimet-Wiley work documented effects of NNMT inhibition combined with reduced-calorie diet on the gut microbiome in diet-induced obese mice (PMID 35013352). The Yang cancer-context work characterised NNMT in cancer-associated fibroblasts as driving tumour progression and resistance to immunotherapy (PMID 39067875).
The compound is included in the catalog as a research-supply reagent for laboratories studying NNMT-pathway biology in muscle, adipose, and metabolic-disease contexts. The published research base specific to 5-Amino-1MQ is comparatively young and small relative to the broader NNMT-pathway literature; researchers should consult the most recent specialist literature on NNMT inhibitor pharmacology and selectivity.
Why this matters in research context
The compound provides a pharmacological tool to test the consequences of NNMT inhibition in specific tissue contexts — raising tissue nicotinamide levels (the salvage-pathway precursor for NAD+) and reducing 1-methylnicotinamide levels. Researchers selecting 5-Amino-1MQ should anchor protocol design to specific NNMT-pathway hypotheses rather than to general “NAD+ boosting” framings; the NAD+ precursor NR is the more direct tool for general NAD+-pool research.
Related compounds
- 5-Amino-1MQ 10mg — the compound covered by this answer
- NAD+ 500mg — direct cofactor; complementary research tool
Related research questions
References
- Dimet-Wiley A et al. Reduced calorie diet combined with NNMT inhibition establishes a distinct microbiome in DIO mice. Sci Rep 2022;12(1):484. [PMID 35013352]
- Yang M et al. NAD(+) metabolism enzyme NNMT in cancer-associated fibroblasts drives tumor progression and resistance to immunotherapy by modulating macrophages in urothelial bladder cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2024;12(7):e009017. [PMID 39067875]
Research-questions pages describe research-context use of peptide-research terminology. They do not constitute medical, veterinary, or clinical advice. 5-Amino-1MQ is sold strictly as a research-grade reagent for laboratory and bench research applications.