Quisqualamine

Quisqualamine is the α-decarboxylated analogue of the glutamate receptor agonist and neurotoxin quisqualic acid and an analogue of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA).^[1][2]

Drug classGABA_A receptor agonist; Glycine receptor agonist

ATC code

• None

CAS Number

• 68373-11-5 ^Y

PubChem CID

• 3085372

Quick facts Clinical data, Drug class ...

Quisqualamine

Clinical data
Drug class	GABAA receptor agonist; Glycine receptor agonist
ATC code	None
Identifiers
IUPAC name 2-(2-aminoethyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazolidine-3,5-dione
CAS Number	68373-11-5 Y
PubChem CID	3085372
ChemSpider	2342291
UNII	PJ4RW6N4EA
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID60218503
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C4H7N3O3
Molar mass	145.118 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O=C1NC(=O)ON1CCN
InChI InChI=1S/C4H7N3O3/c5-1-2-7-3(8)6-4(9)10-7/h1-2,5H2,(H,6,8,9) Key:LIPCXBVXQUFCSC-UHFFFAOYSA-N

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α-Decarboxylation of excitatory amino acids can produce derivatives with inhibitory effects.^[2] Relatedly, unlike quisqualic acid, quisqualamine has central depressant and neuroprotective effects, and appears to act predominantly as an agonist of the GABA_A receptor and to a lesser extent as an agonist of the glycine receptor.^[1][2][3] Its actions are inhibited by GABA_A receptor antagonists like bicuculline and picrotoxin and by the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine in vitro.^[1][2][3]

The NMDA receptor antagonists magnesium and DL-AP5, the AMPA and kainate receptor antagonist CNQX, and the GABA_B receptor antagonist 2-hydroxysaclofen all do not affect quisqualamine's actions in vitro.^[2] As such, the drug does not appear to interact with the ionotropic glutamate receptors or GABA_B receptor.^[2]