Description

SPECIFICATION	DETAILS
Product Name	5-Amino-1MQ
IUPAC / Chemical Name	5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium (commonly supplied as iodide salt)
Synonyms	5A-1MQ, NNMTi, 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide
CAS Number	42464-96-0
PubChem CID	950107
Molecular Formula (cation)	C₁₀H₁₁N₂⁺
Molecular Weight (cation)	159.21 g/mol
Molecular Formula (iodide salt)	C₁₀H₁₁N₂ · I
Molecular Weight (iodide salt)	286.11 g/mol
Compound Class	Small-molecule quinolinium analog
Research Target	Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT)
Reported IC₅₀ (NNMT)	1.2 µM (published literature)
Source	Chemical synthesis
Purity	≥98% (HPLC verified)
Appearance	Off-white to pale yellow crystalline powder
Net Content	10 mg per vial
Format	Single sealed glass vial
Solubility	Soluble in water and DMSO (research literature)
Third-Party Tested	Yes — Janoshik Analytical
Storage	-20 °C, sealed, desiccated, protected from light
Shelf Life	Up to 24 months under recommended storage
Catalog Number	5A1MQ-10
Research Category	Metabolic / NAD⁺ Pathway Research

Overview

5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule quinolinium analog that has been used in published laboratory research as a selective, substrate-site-targeting inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). Unlike peptide-based research compounds, 5-Amino-1MQ is a non-peptide small molecule that acts intracellularly on a cytosolic enzyme involved in nicotinamide and NAD⁺ salvage pathway metabolism. In the NNMT research literature, it is frequently abbreviated as “NNMTi” or “5A-1MQ.”

Chemical Identity

The compound has the molecular formula C₁₀H₁₁N₂⁺ (cation form) with a calculated molecular weight of 159.21 g/mol and is registered under CAS number 42464-96-0. It is commonly supplied as the iodide salt (C₁₀H₁₁N₂·I, MW 286.11 g/mol); researchers performing stoichiometric calculations should account for the counterion weight of the supplied salt form. The molecule consists of a quinolinium scaffold with a methyl group at the ring nitrogen (N-1) and an amino substituent at the 5-position. 5-Amino-1MQ is produced by chemical synthesis and supplied as an off-white to pale yellow crystalline lyophilized powder.

Research Applications

In published laboratory research, 5-Amino-1MQ has been used as a probe compound in several contexts:

• Characterizing NNMT enzyme activity in cell-free biochemical assays and in cultured cell systems, including measurement of the NNMT reaction product 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) via LC-MS/MS.
• In vitro studies using 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte and differentiated adipocyte models to examine NNMT-dependent effects on cellular NAD⁺ levels, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) availability, and lipogenic pathway readouts.
• Preclinical rodent models of diet-induced obesity in which NNMT inhibition was investigated as a modulator of adipose tissue metabolism and body-composition endpoints.
• Skeletal muscle research examining NNMT expression in aged-muscle and injury-repair models, including satellite cell (muSC) proliferation and fusion assays.
• Comparative methyltransferase selectivity profiling against other SAM-dependent enzymes in the NAD⁺ salvage pathway.

Quality & Testing

Each batch is supplied with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) generated by an independent third-party analytical laboratory (Janoshik Analytical). Analytical characterization includes reverse-phase HPLC for purity determination (≥98%) and mass spectrometry for identity confirmation. Batch-specific COA documentation is available on request.

Storage & Handling (Research Laboratory Reference)

Lyophilized 5-Amino-1MQ should be stored sealed at -20 °C, desiccated, and protected from light. Under these conditions, reference literature indicates stability of up to 24 months from the date of manufacture. For stock solutions reported in published research, the compound has been dissolved in water, dilute acid, or DMSO depending on assay requirements; aliquots were stored at -20 °C or lower, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles were avoided. Handle in accordance with standard laboratory safety procedures for crystalline chemical reagents, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Research Background 

Discovery & Research Context

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). Historically, NNMT was regarded primarily as a nicotinamide clearance enzyme, but research over the past decade has characterized NNMT as a regulator of cellular NAD⁺ availability, methyl-donor economy, and adipocyte metabolic phenotype. Elevated NNMT expression has been reported in adipose tissue and liver in preclinical models of obesity. 5-Amino-1MQ was identified in medicinal chemistry work on substrate-site-targeting small-molecule inhibitors of NNMT and has become one of the most frequently cited tool compounds for probing NNMT biology in vitro and in vivo.

Structural Characteristics

5-Amino-1MQ belongs to the 1-methylquinolinium class of small molecules. The quinolinium scaffold — a bicyclic aromatic system containing a positively charged quaternary nitrogen — provides the compound’s membrane-permeable, substrate-mimetic pharmacophore. The amino group at the 5-position has been reported in structure–activity studies as contributing to both potency and selectivity against NNMT relative to other SAM-dependent methyltransferases. Published PAMPA and Caco-2 permeability data indicate that 5-Amino-1MQ exhibits favorable passive membrane permeability in cell-based assays, consistent with its use as an intracellular tool compound.

Mechanism of Inhibition (Published Research)

In biochemical assays, 5-Amino-1MQ has been reported as a substrate-site-targeting, selective NNMT inhibitor with a reported IC₅₀ of approximately 1.2 µM (measured at 50 µM SAM and 100 µM nicotinamide in published work). By competing at the nicotinamide substrate binding site, the compound reduces formation of 1-MNA and conserves SAM availability for other methylation reactions. In adipocyte research models, NNMT inhibition with 5-Amino-1MQ has been reported to increase intracellular NAD⁺ and SAM levels and to modulate lipogenic pathway readouts in a concentration-dependent manner.

Preclinical Research Findings

Published preclinical studies have used 5-Amino-1MQ to probe NNMT biology across several model systems. In diet-induced obesity rodent models, treatment with 5-Amino-1MQ was reported to alter adipose tissue mass and body-composition parameters without adverse observations at the tested doses. In skeletal muscle research, studies have examined the compound’s effects on muscle stem cell proliferation and fusion in aged and injury-repair models. Additional in vitro work has characterized effects on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation and metabolic readouts. All findings cited here are strictly limited to the referenced laboratory research models.

Analytical Characterization

Research-grade 5-Amino-1MQ is typically characterized using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) for purity determination, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural confirmation, and mass spectrometry for molecular identity. The Peptide Minds supply of 5-Amino-1MQ is verified by RP-HPLC to ≥98% purity, with batch-specific certificates issued by an independent analytical laboratory.

Key Published References

• Neelakantan H. et al. Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice. Biochemical Pharmacology, 2018.
• Kraus D. et al. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity. Nature, 2014.
• Pissios P. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase: more than a vitamin B3 clearance enzyme. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2017.
• Hong S. et al. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase regulates hepatic nutrient metabolism through Sirt1 protein stabilization. Nature Medicine, 2015.

Compliance Statement (Mandatory on Product Page)

RESEARCH USE ONLY (RUO). This product is a research compound supplied for in vitro laboratory and preclinical research purposes only. It is not a drug, food, cosmetic, or dietary supplement, and has not been approved by the FDA or any other regulatory agency for diagnostic, therapeutic, or any human or veterinary use. It is not intended for human or veterinary consumption, administration, or clinical application of any kind. Purchase of this product requires the buyer to confirm they are a qualified researcher or institution and will use the product solely in a controlled laboratory setting in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. Keep out of reach of children and non-research personnel.