Aminooxadiazolyl kainic acid reveals that kainic acid receptors contribute to astrocytoma glutamate signaling

ABSTRACT The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate triggers a Ca 2+ rise and the extension of processes in astrocytes. Our results suggest that kainic acid receptors (KAR) can independently initiate glutamate signaling in astrocytoma U118-MG cells. The natural product kainic acid triggered glioexcitablity in cells and was inhibited by the KAR antagonist CNQX, but its activity was lower than glutamate on KARs. We created a new heteroaryl kainoid based on rational design: aminooxadiazolyl kainic acid 1 (AODKA). AODKA induced a larger calcium influx and a faster processes extension than kainic acid in U118-MG cells. AODKA is a new tool to study KAR activity in the nervous system. Abstract Figure