Resolution, absolute stereochemistry and molecular pharmacology of the enantiomers of ATPA

(RS)-2-Amino-3-(5-tert-butyl-3-hydroxy-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (ATPA), an analogue of (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic ac id (AMPA), has previously been shown to be a relatively weak AMPA receptor agonist and a very potent agonist at the GluR5 subtype of kainic acid-prefe rring (S)-glutamic acid ((S)-Glu) receptors. We report here the separation of (+)- and (-)-ATPA, obtained at high enantiomeric purity (enantiomeric: e xcess values of 99.8% and > 99.8%, respectively) using chiral chromatograph y, and the unequivocal assignment of the stereochemistry of CS)-(+)-ATPA an d (R)-(-)-ATPA (S)- and (R)-ATPA were characterized in receptor binding stu dies using rat brain membranes, and electrophysiologically using the rat co rtical wedge preparation and cloned AMPA-preferring (GluR1, GluR3, and GluR 4) and kainic acid-preferring (GluR5, GluR6, and GluR6 + KA2) receptors exp ressed in Xenopus oocytes. In the cortical wedge, (S)-ATPA showed AMPA rece ptor agonist effects (EC50 = 23 mu M) approximately twice as potent as thos e of ATPA. (R)-ATPA antagonized depolarizations induced by AMPA (K-i = 253 mu M) and by (S)-ATPA (K-i = 376 mu M), and (R)-ATPA antagonized the biphas ic depolarizing effects induced by kainic acid (K-i = 301 mu M and 1115 mu M). At cloned AMPA receptors, (S)-ATPA showed agonist effects at GluR3 and GluR4 with EC50 values of approximately 8 mu M and at GluR1 (EC50 = 22 mu M ), producing maximal steady state currents only 5.4-33% of those evoked by kainic acid. (R)-ATPA antagonized currents evoked by kainic acid at cloned AMPA receptor subtypes with K-i values of 33-75 mu M. (S)-ATPA produced pot ent agonist effects at GluR5 (EC50 = 0.48 mu M). Due to desensitization of GluR5 receptors, which could not be fully prevented by treatment with conca navalin A, (S)-ATPA-induced agonist effects were normalized to those of kai nic acid. Under these circumstances, maximal currents produced by (S)-ATPA and kainic acid were not significantly different. (R)-ATPA did not attenuat e currents produced by kainic acid at GluR5, and neither (S)- nor (R)-ATPA showed significant effects at (GluR6. (S)-ATPA as well as AMPA showed weak agonist effects at heteromeric GluR6 + KA2 receptors, whereas (R)-ATPA was inactive. Thus, (S)- and (R)-ATPA may be useful tools for mechanistic studi es of ionotropic non-NMDA (S)-Glu receptors, and lead structures for the de sign of new subtype-selective ligands for such receptors. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.