5-Fluorowillardiine
Encyclopedia
5-Fluorowillardiine is a selective agonist
for the AMPA receptor
, with only limited effects at the kainate receptor
. It is an excitotoxic neurotoxin
when used in vivo and so is rarely used in intact animals, but it is widely used to selectively stimulate AMPA receptors in vitro.
5-Fluorowillardiine exists as two distinct isomers:
Agonist
An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...
for the AMPA receptor
AMPA receptor
The α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor is a non-NMDA-type ionotropic transmembrane receptor for glutamate that mediates fast synaptic transmission in the central nervous system . Its name is derived from its ability to be activated by the artificial glutamate analog AMPA...
, with only limited effects at the kainate receptor
Kainate receptor
Kainate receptors, or KARs, are non-NMDA ionotropic receptors which respond to the neurotransmitter glutamate. They were first identified as a distinct receptor type through their selective activation by the agonist kainate, a drug first isolated from red algae Digenea simplex. KARs are less well...
. It is an excitotoxic neurotoxin
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
when used in vivo and so is rarely used in intact animals, but it is widely used to selectively stimulate AMPA receptors in vitro.
5-Fluorowillardiine exists as two distinct isomers:
- (2R) or D
- (2S) or L