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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Multi-photon Intracellular Sodium Imaging Combined with UV-mediated Focal Uncaging of Glutamate in CA1 Pyramidal Neurons
Published on: October 8, 2014
4-Alkyl- and 4-cinnamylglutamic acid analogues are potent GluR5 kainate receptor agonists
C Pedregal1, I Collado, A Escribano
1Lilly, S.A., Avda. de la Industria 30, 28108 Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Enantiomerically pure (2S,4R)-4-substituted glutamic acids were prepared and tested for homomeric GluR5 and GluR6 kainate subtype receptor affinity. Some of the 4-cinnamyl analogues showed high selectivity and potency (K(i) < 25 nM) for the GluR5 receptors. The greatest selectivity and potency were achieved with the 3-(2-naphthyl)prop-2-enyl compound. This compound, LY339434, has negligible activity at the AMPA and kainate receptors GluR1, -2, -4 and -6. Although, LY339434 shows agonist activity at NMDA receptors in cultural hippocampal neurons (approximate EC(50) of 2.5 microM), we consider that LY339434 should be a useful pharmacological tool for the investigation of the functional role of GluR5 kainate receptors.
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