GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide)

GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide composed of glycine, histidine, and lysine (Gly-His-Lys) complexed with copper(II). It is also referred to as copper tripeptide-1 or simply copper peptide, and is supplied as a lyophilized powder as a reference compound for laboratory research only.

Yes. The GHK tripeptide occurs naturally in human plasma, saliva, and urine. Plasma concentrations decline substantially with age, which is why age-related comparisons appear frequently in the research literature. Material supplied for laboratory use is produced synthetically.

GHK-Cu is a three-amino-acid peptide with the sequence Gly-His-Lys, bound to a copper(II) ion. The molecular formula is C14H22CuN6O4, the molecular weight is approximately 403.93 for the copper(II) complex, and the CAS number is 89030-95-5.

The blue color comes from the copper(II) ion coordinated to the peptide, not from the peptide itself. Copper(II) complexes absorb in the red region of the visible spectrum and transmit blue. A blue lyophilized powder is the expected appearance for a correctly complexed lot.

GHK binds copper(II) with high affinity through the histidine imidazole nitrogen, the N-terminal amino group, and the backbone amide nitrogen. This coordination chemistry is what makes GHK-Cu a reference compound in copper transport and copper homeostasis research.

GHK is the free tripeptide. GHK-Cu is the same tripeptide with a bound copper(II) ion. The two behave differently in assays. The copper complex is the form studied in copper transport work, and the two are frequently compared directly in receptor and signaling studies.

Common applications include copper transport and homeostasis studies, collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in fibroblast models, extracellular matrix remodeling assays, wound healing models, antioxidant pathway investigation, and hair follicle research models.

Published work by Pickart and colleagues reports that GHK-Cu modulates the expression of a large number of human genes in cultured cell studies, shifting expression patterns in tissue remodeling and antioxidant response pathways. This gene-expression profiling work is among the most frequently cited GHK-Cu research.

Copper tripeptide-1 is the INCI designation for the same Gly-His-Lys copper complex. Copper tripeptide-1 and GHK-Cu refer to the identical molecule under different naming conventions.

GHK-Cu is the most extensively studied copper-binding peptide and serves as the reference compound against which other copper complexes are measured. Other copper peptides differ in their peptide backbone, which changes copper binding affinity and stability in solution.

GHK-Cu ships as a lyophilized blue powder in a sealed vial. It is soluble in bacteriostatic water; consult the certificate of analysis for the solvent recommendations that apply to your lot.

Purity is 99% or greater as verified by HPLC. Lot-specific results are reported on the certificate of analysis accompanying each vial, and that figure is what our purity guarantee is measured against.

Store the lyophilized vial at -20 degrees Celsius, protected from light and moisture. Copper complexes are light sensitive, so protection from light matters more here than for uncomplexed peptides. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, refrigerate the solution at 2-8 degrees Celsius and follow your laboratory's established protocols.

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