5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), the cytosolic enzyme that methylates nicotinamide using S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor. It is a cell-permeable quinolinium cation used as a tool compound in methyltransferase enzymology, NAD+ metabolism studies and adipocyte cell culture. It is a small molecule, not a peptide. NuVion supplies 5-Amino-1MQ as a laboratory chemical for in vitro research use only.
Key facts
| Type / class | Small molecule, quinolinium NNMT inhibitor (not a peptide) |
| Molecular formula | C10H11N2+ (cation) |
| Molecular weight | 159.21 g/mol (cation, excluding counter-ion) |
| Synonyms / other names | 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium, 5-amino-1-methylquinoline, 5-Amino-1MQ, 5-A-1MQ |
| Supplied form | Lyophilised powder in a sealed vial |
5-Amino-1MQ
$69 AUD
View productResearch use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
Structure and chemistry
5-Amino-1MQ is a quinoline in which the ring nitrogen (N1) carries a methyl group and position 5 on the fused benzo ring carries a primary amine. Methylation of the ring nitrogen quaternises it, so the molecule is a permanently charged aromatic cation whose charge does not depend on pH. It is isolated and supplied as a salt with a counter-ion, and the formula and weight in the table refer to the cation alone. There is no stereocentre, no amide or ester bond, and no peptide backbone, which is why the usual peptide handling concerns (deamidation, disulfide scrambling, protease sensitivity) do not apply.
The compound was designed as a nicotinamide mimic. Nicotinamide is a pyridine carboxamide that accepts a methyl group on its ring nitrogen in the NNMT active site, passing through a positively charged transition state. A 1-methylquinolinium places a fixed positive charge at the equivalent position, and the fused benzo ring occupies hydrophobic space next to the nicotinamide pocket. Structure-activity work on substituted 1-methylquinolinium compounds identified the 5-amino substitution as one of the more active members of the series, and the small size of the cation (under 200 Da) sets it apart from bisubstrate and SAM-analogue methyltransferase inhibitors, which are larger and poorly membrane permeable.
The aromatic core is chemically stable. The primary aromatic amine is the reactive position; it can oxidise slowly in solution when exposed to light and air, which shows up as discolouration. Solutions are therefore kept protected from light.
Mechanism of action
NNMT (EC 2.1.1.1) transfers a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the pyridine nitrogen of nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). The reaction sits at the junction of two pathways. On one side it consumes nicotinamide, the substrate of NAMPT and the entry point of the NAD+ salvage pathway. On the other it consumes SAM and produces SAH, so NNMT flux draws down the methylation potential (the SAM:SAH ratio) that DNA, histone and protein methyltransferases operate against. 1-MNA is oxidised by aldehyde oxidase to pyridone metabolites and exported, so nicotinamide that passes through NNMT is lost from the NAD+ pool.
5-Amino-1MQ binds in the nicotinamide substrate pocket of NNMT and competes with nicotinamide. In biochemical assays with recombinant NNMT it inhibits 1-MNA formation with an IC50 in the low micromolar range, and it shows selectivity over related SAM-dependent methyltransferases, including phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, when profiled at comparable concentrations. Because the cation crosses cell membranes, inhibition is observed in intact cells as well as in the purified enzyme: NNMT-expressing cells exposed to the compound produce less 1-MNA and retain more nicotinamide.
The measurable cellular consequences follow from the stoichiometry. Retained nicotinamide is available to NAMPT, and intracellular NAD+ rises in NNMT-expressing cells such as differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. SAM consumption falls and the SAM:SAH ratio shifts toward SAM. NAD+ is the co-substrate for the sirtuin deacylases (SIRT1, SIRT3) and for the PARP family, so a larger NAD+ pool changes the activity of those enzymes and shifts the NAD+/NADH ratio that mitochondrial dehydrogenases operate against. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, NNMT inhibition with 5-Amino-1MQ has been characterised alongside lower expression of lipogenic genes and reduced lipid droplet accumulation by Oil Red O staining. These are cell-level readouts of the enzyme’s position in nicotinamide and one-carbon metabolism.
Research applications
5-Amino-1MQ sits in the NuVion Metabolism category. Typical study contexts include:
- Methyltransferase enzyme assays with recombinant NNMT: quantifying 1-MNA or SAH formation by LC-MS or a coupled fluorescence assay, IC50 determination, and mode-of-inhibition studies against varied nicotinamide and SAM concentrations.
- Selectivity profiling against related SAM-dependent methyltransferases (PNMT, HNMT, COMT, DNMT1) to confirm that a cellular phenotype is on-target.
- 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation assays, with lipogenic gene expression (Fasn, Srebf1, Pparg) by qPCR and lipid droplets by Oil Red O staining.
- Intracellular metabolite quantification by LC-MS/MS (NAD+, NADH, nicotinamide, 1-MNA, SAM, SAH) in NNMT-expressing cell lines, linking enzyme inhibition to pool sizes.
- Cell proliferation and viability assays in cell lines with high versus low NNMT expression, with NNMT knockdown or overexpression as genetic controls.
- RP-HPLC method development for small permanently charged aromatic cations, which need ion-pairing reagents or a HILIC column for retention.
Handling in the laboratory
5-Amino-1MQ is supplied as a lyophilised powder in a sealed vial. As a small cationic salt it dissolves readily in water. Stock solutions are prepared by reconstituting the vial with bacteriostatic water, or with assay buffer for enzyme work; the reconstitution calculator gives the volume needed for a target concentration. Keep the sealed vial dry, away from light and refrigerated as described in the product documentation. Once in solution, keep the stock refrigerated, protect it from light, and use it within the period stated in the documentation. Aliquoting the stock avoids repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
The compound is characterised by RP-HPLC for purity and by mass spectrometry for identity. In positive-mode electrospray the cation gives a single predominant ion at m/z 159, which is a simpler identity fingerprint than the multiply charged envelope a peptide produces.
Testing and supply from NuVion
NuVion has 5-Amino-1MQ independently tested by Janoshik Analytical. Most batches are tested, and the Certificate of Analysis for a tested batch, showing RP-HPLC purity and mass spectrometry identity, is published on the product page and in the Certificates of Analysis library. Manufacture is GMP-audited, the compound is supplied lyophilised in sealed vials, and orders are dispatched from within Australia.
Related compounds
Within the Metabolism category, 5-Amino-1MQ is often studied alongside NAD+, the coenzyme whose salvage pathway competes with NNMT for nicotinamide, and MOTS-c, a mitochondrial-derived peptide used in AMPK signalling studies.
Frequently asked questions
What is 5-Amino-1MQ used for in research?
It is used as a selective, cell-permeable NNMT inhibitor. Typical work includes methyltransferase enzyme assays, selectivity profiling against other SAM-dependent methyltransferases, and cell culture studies that read out NAD+, SAM and SAH pools or lipogenic gene expression in NNMT-expressing lines such as 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?
No. It is a substituted quinolinium salt with a molecular weight of about 159 g/mol for the cation. It is listed among NuVion’s research compounds because it is used in the same metabolic signalling studies as several of the peptides, and it is handled in the same way, as a lyophilised powder in a sealed vial.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ a therapeutic good in Australia?
No. 5-Amino-1MQ is not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and has not been assessed by the TGA. NuVion supplies it as a laboratory chemical for in vitro research, and nothing on this page is a representation about therapeutic use.
How should 5-Amino-1MQ be stored?
Keep the sealed vial of lyophilised powder dry, away from light and refrigerated as stated in the product documentation. After reconstitution, keep the solution refrigerated and protected from light, and use it within the period stated in the documentation. Aliquoting avoids repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Research use only. This product is a laboratory chemical supplied for in vitro research. It is not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and has not been assessed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for quality, safety or efficacy. It is not for human or veterinary use, and nothing on this page is a representation about therapeutic use.
