Kainic acid is a marine natural product bearing structural analogy to the neurotransmitter glutamate that produces neuroexcitatory agonist effects at the kainate ionotropic receptors. The kainate receptors are non-NMDA glutamate-recognizing ionotropic receptors, and agonism by Kainic acid or glutamate produces excitation and contribution to excitatory postsynaptic currents. Agonism of the kainate receptors by sufficient concentrations of Kainic acid produces excitotoxicity, and Kainic acid is widely employed as a tool for inducing excitotoxic seizures in neurotransmission studies. Kainic acid is employed alongside the agonists NMDA and AMPA to identify the specific subtype of glutamate-recognizing receptors of interest. A caged version of this compound is available.

An excitatory and excitotoxic glutamate-mimic kainate receptor agonist

≥98%

Store at -20℃ for one year（Powder）；Store at 2-4℃ for two weeks；Store at -20℃ for six months after dissolution.

红藻氨酸；卡英酸;2-Carboxy-3-carboxymethyl-4-isopropenylpyrrolidine; Digenic acid

white to off-white powder

pK_a: 2.03, pK_b: 10.70

kainate receptor subtype: Ki= 21 nM (rat); Glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 1: Ki= 29.7 nM (Rattus norvegicus); Glutamate receptor ionotropic kainate 2: Ki= 12.7 nM (Rattus norvegicus); Glutamate receptor ionotropic kainate 5: Ki= 15 nM (Rattus norvegicus); Glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 4: Ki= 29.7 nM (Rattus norvegicus)

Soluble in water (25 mg/ml), dilute hydrochloric acid, and solutions of alkali hydroxide. Insoluble in ethanol.

Kainic acid is a potent agonist at excitatory amino acid receptor subtypes in the CNS. HO-I levels are significantly enhanced one, three and seven days after i.c.v, injection of Kainic acid. One day after i.c.v, injection of Kainic acid, the HO-I protein level reaches a maximum and then decreases, but is still significantly enhanced versus the vehicle-injected group. After i.c.v. injection of Kainic acid, HO-I-immunoreactivity is strongly induced not only in the CA3 but also widely in the whole hippocampus.