GRADE & PURITYMoligand™?Moligand™ — Aladdin's line of ligands and bioactive small molecules. Use for receptor, pathway, and binding studies needing defined small-molecule tools.10 mM in DMSO
Dilute into prewarmed assay buffer/medium; include vehicle controls matching ionic strength and pH.
Perform concentration–response curves to establish EC50 in your system.
Electrophysiology or imaging:
Perfuse with buffer containing the desired concentration; verify osmolarity and pH compatibility.
Documentation:
Record exact batch identity, salt form, and stock molarity (correcting for counterions if present) from the CoA.
All uses are for research only; develop and validate protocols according to your laboratory’s SOPs.
Biological Roles
Trans-ACPD is a synthetic cyclic analog of glutamate and functions as a research ligand in glutamatergic signaling studies.
Functional class (literature/general): broad-spectrum metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist with activity across group I/II receptors in many preparations; not a canonical ligand for ionotropic receptors.
Mechanistic context:
Mimics features of L-glutamate while imposing conformational constraints via a cyclopentane ring with trans-1,3 substitution, influencing receptor binding geometry.
Engagement of mGluRs modulates second-messenger systems, including phospholipase C (group I) and adenylyl cyclase pathways (group II), depending on receptor subtype and cellular context.
Experimental uses (general):
Probe of synaptic plasticity, presynaptic vs postsynaptic receptor function, and neuromodulatory crosstalk.
Tool compound in pharmacological profiling alongside selective antagonists to deconvolute pathway contributions.
ADME/transport considerations (general):
Highly polar and zwitterionic; limited passive membrane permeability; uptake in cells and tissues may depend on transporters or experimental delivery methods (e.g., patch pipette, microinjection, high local concentrations).
No clinical or therapeutic claims are made. All uses are for research only. Item-specific potency/affinity and subtype selectivity data are not provided with this listing; consult primary literature and verify in your assay system.
Buffer Applications
This compound is not a general-purpose buffering agent. It lacks a defined, narrow buffering range appropriate for routine biochemical buffers.
Practical guidance:
Use standard buffers (e.g., HEPES, PBS, Tris, MOPS) to control pH in experiments where trans-ACPD is the ligand under study.
Prepare trans-ACPD stock solutions in the chosen buffer and adjust pH as needed to fully dissolve; filter sterilize for cell-based applications.
Avoid relying on trans-ACPD to stabilize pH during assays; its titratable groups are intended for ligand–target interactions rather than buffering control.
For detailed buffer recipes and pH ranges, refer to the documentation for your chosen buffer system.
Green Alternatives
As a polar amino-dicarboxylic acid used mainly as a biological ligand, green chemistry considerations focus on solvent systems and minimizing auxiliary reagents rather than replacing the molecule itself.
Greener handling strategies (literature/general):
Use water-based buffers as the primary solvent; avoid high percentages of organic cosolvents.
For sterilization, prefer filtration over autoclaving to avoid degradation and energy-intensive steps.
For synthetic derivatization, consider water-enabled coupling chemistries (e.g., carbodiimide couplings in buffered aqueous media) and catalytic alternatives to stoichiometric activating agents when feasible.
DMSO stocks: generally unnecessary and often ineffective due to limited solubility; avoiding DMSO reduces solvent hazards.
Alcohol/water mixtures: acceptable if needed; keep alcohol content minimal to achieve target concentration.
Waste minimization:
Prepare only the volume required for near-term experiments.
Neutralize aqueous waste to near-neutral pH and follow institutional disposal protocols.
There are no direct “alternate ligands” suggested as green substitutes since target selectivity/pharmacology dictates ligand choice; instead, optimize the surrounding workflow for lower hazard and waste.
Pharmaceutical Uses
No excipient or manufacturing roles are specified for this item.
Regulatory status: Not specified in pharmacopoeias for excipient use (literature/general expectation for specialized research ligands).
Typical context: Employed exclusively as a research tool compound in discovery and mechanistic studies; not intended for human or veterinary use.
Formulation guidance (research context only):
For in vitro work, prepare aqueous stocks at defined pH and ionic strength; avoid unnecessary organic cosolvents.
For in vivo research (if applicable under institutional approvals), consult the literature for vehicle composition and dosing protocols; this catalog entry does not provide such guidance.
No clinical, therapeutic, or diagnostic claims are made for this product. For any off-catalog uses, users must establish suitability and stability independently.
Physical Properties
Appearance (item-specific): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
Molecular weight (item-specific listing): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet. (Literature for trans-ACPD: ~173.17 g/mol.)
Physical state: Typically a crystalline solid (literature/general for amino dicarboxylic acids).
Melting point: Often reported with decomposition in the 230–260 °C range (literature, varies by salt/form and racemate vs. single-enantiomer).
pKa values (literature/general):
Two carboxyl groups: pKa1 ~2–3; pKa2 ~4–5
Primary ammonium: pKa3 ~9–10
The compound is predominantly zwitterionic near physiological pH.
Solubility (literature/general):
Water: high to moderate solubility, enhanced in neutral to basic media; limited solubility in strong acids near isoelectric point may occur.
Organic solvents: poorly soluble in most nonpolar and moderately polar organics; some solubility in polar protic solvents (e.g., methanol, ethanol) or water-miscible polar aprotics with water present.
LogP/LogD (literature expectation): strongly hydrophilic; logP << 0; logD7.4 negative due to zwitterionic/ionic character.
Refractive index, density, UV cutoff: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
All physical property values above labeled as “literature/general” are provided for context only and are not product specifications for this catalog item.
Quality & Grades
Grade/Purity (item-specific): Moligand™.
What Moligand™ implies (general for our catalog):
Designed for small-molecule and compound libraries, screening collections, and ligand-focused discovery workflows.
Emphasis on structural identity, library suitability, and fitness for biochemical/biophysical assays rather than low-UV chromatographic purity benchmarks.
May be provided as free acid/base or as a defined salt form to maximize stability and handling; verify on CoA.
Purity specifications, residual solvents, metals, water content, UV cutoff: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
Stabilizers/additives: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
Practical guidance:
For quantitative biophysical assays (e.g., ITC, MST), verify counterion content and exact purity on the CoA to calculate accurate stock molarity.
For medicinal chemistry or SAR, analytical confirmation (NMR/HRMS/HPLC) is recommended to document batch identity and purity, especially if chiral composition is critical.
If the biological target is stereoselective, confirm whether this is the trans racemate or a defined enantiomer; the grade does not imply enantiopurity unless explicitly stated on the CoA.
Reaction & Applications
This compound is primarily used as a chemical biology probe/ligand rather than as a general-purpose synthetic reagent.
Manufacturer applications (catalog context): Not provided beyond library/ligand categorization; see below for typical research uses.
Research applications (literature/general):
Widely used as a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist to activate group I/II mGluRs in cellular and tissue preparations.
Employed to dissect glutamatergic signaling, synaptic plasticity, and second-messenger pathways (e.g., phosphoinositide turnover, cAMP modulation) in neuropharmacology models.
Utilized in electrophysiology to evoke receptor-mediated responses; also in calcium imaging and downstream kinase activation studies.
Practical assay tips (general):
Prepare aqueous stock solutions at known pH; filter-sterilize through 0.22 µm if used in cell-based systems.
Titrate concentration curves because efficacy can be cell-line and preparation dependent.
Minimize divalent cation precipitation by adjusting ionic strength and pH gradually.
Chemical reactivity (general):
The primary amine and two carboxylates enable routine derivatizations (e.g., N-acylation, esterification under protection, amide coupling) for probe development and immobilization.
Note: No item-specific activity or potency values are provided for this catalog entry; consult the primary literature and generate in-house dose–response data for your system.
Reaction Conditions
No item-specific reaction conditions are provided. The following are literature/general guidelines for common transformations of amino dicarboxylic acids and for preparing assay solutions.
Amide coupling (derivatization):
Solvents: DMF, NMP, or aqueous buffer/DMF mixtures; water-compatible carbodiimide chemistry (EDC/sulfo-NHS) for bioconjugation.
Conditions: 0–25 °C, pH 6–7.4 (EDC/NHS in water); or 0–25 °C with base (DIPEA) in DMF for protected derivatives.
Esterification:
Classical: alcohol solvent with acid catalyst (e.g., HCl/MeOH) after amine protection; or DCC/DMAP with alcohols under anhydrous conditions.
N-acylation:
Base (NaHCO3 or organic base) with acyl chlorides/anhydrides after carboxyl protection to avoid mixed anhydride formation.
Assay stock preparation:
Solvent: deionized water or buffer (e.g., HEPES, PBS); adjust pH to 7.2–7.4.
Typical concentrations: 10–100 mM stocks, sterile-filtered; store aliquots at low temperature to minimize freeze–thaw.
Stability notes (general):
Solid is typically stable when dry and cold; aqueous solutions are stable at neutral pH for short to moderate periods at 2–8 °C, longer when frozen.
Always verify reaction compatibility with the chosen protection scheme and confirm identity/purity of derivatives by NMR/LC–MS.
Safety & Handling
GHS classification, signal word, pictograms, H-statements: Not specified for this item; refer to SDS.
General hazards (literature/general for amino acids and dicarboxylic acids): low volatility solid; may cause irritation to eyes, skin, and respiratory tract upon contact with dust.
PPE recommendations (good laboratory practice):
Lab coat, nitrile gloves, safety glasses or face shield when handling powders/solutions.
Use a dust mask or handle in a fume hood if dust generation is possible.
Handling advice:
Avoid creating dust; do not inhale dust or aerosols.
Prepare solutions with deionized water; adjust pH slowly to avoid localized heating/splashing.
Prevent cross-contamination if used in biological assays (dedicated tools/containers).
Incompatibilities (general): strong oxidizers are typically compatible with amino acids, but avoid strong dehydrating agents, acylation reagents, acid chlorides/anhydrides, and isocyanates unless intended for derivatization; avoid mixing with nitrites under strongly acidic conditions (risk of nitrosation of amines).
First aid (overview; consult SDS):
Inhalation: move to fresh air; seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
Skin contact: wash with soap and water; remove contaminated clothing.
Eye contact: rinse cautiously with water for several minutes; remove contact lenses if present.
Ingestion: rinse mouth; seek medical advice if large amounts are ingested.
Fire safety: Non-combustible to slightly combustible organic solid; use water spray, CO2, dry chemical, or foam. Combustion may produce CO/CO2 and nitrogen oxides.
Waste: Dispose according to institutional and local regulations for organic laboratory chemicals.
Solvent Selection
Trans-ACPD is a highly polar, zwitterionic amino dicarboxylic acid and behaves similarly to acidic amino acid analogs.
Polarity class: very polar; ionic/zwitterionic near neutral pH.
Preferred media (literature/general):
Aqueous buffers (pH 6.5–8.0) provide good solubility and chemical stability.
For concentrated stocks, adjust pH with NaOH or KOH to form soluble carboxylate salts; avoid strong acids that approach the isoelectric point, which can reduce solubility.
Organic solubility:
Poor in nonpolar and moderately polar aprotic solvents (e.g., hexane, toluene, DCM, THF, EtOAc).
Limited in neat alcohols; cosolvent systems (water/alcohol mixtures) can be used if required.
Typical use scenarios:
Biological assays: prepare aqueous stocks (e.g., 10–100 mM) adjusted to pH 7.2–7.4, then dilute into assay buffer.
Synthetic derivatization: dissolve under basic conditions or use salt forms; protection strategies may be necessary for organic-phase chemistry.
Quick comparison (literature/general):
Versus L-glutamate: ACPD is less soluble at low pH but comparably soluble at neutral/basic pH.
Versus glutamate antagonists/agonists that are more lipophilic: ACPD requires aqueous or biphasic methods; DMSO stocks are typically not effective without water present.
Always confirm solubility and pH compatibility with your assay buffer before scale-up.
Storage & Reconstitution
Storage conditions (item-specific): Store at -80 °C.
Shipping (item-specific): Shipped on dry ice packs + cold packs.
Appearance: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
Reconstitution (general guidance for this ligand):
Solvent: deionized water or assay buffer; adjust to pH 7.2–7.4 for optimal solubility. If needed, form sodium or potassium salt by neutralization with NaOH/KOH.
Concentration: prepare 10–100 mM stocks depending on downstream use; filter sterilize for cell-based applications.
Aliquoting: dispense single-use aliquots to avoid repeated freeze–thaw.
Solution stability (general):
Short term: 2–8 °C for hours to a few days.
Long term: store frozen (≤ -20 °C; follow item-specific -80 °C guidance for maximum stability). Avoid multiple freeze–thaw cycles.
Incompatibilities:
Avoid strong acids/bases during storage; maintain neutral pH to minimize hydrolysis or racemization.
Avoid metal-catalyzed oxidation conditions; use plastic or passivated glass for long-term solutions.
Documentation:
Record final pH, concentration, and date of preparation on each aliquot.
For authoritative safety and handling, consult the SDS. For item-specific identity and purity, consult the CoA/Spec Sheet.
Structure & Identity
Trans-ACPD is a cyclic amino dicarboxylic acid known as trans-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid, widely used as a glutamate receptor ligand in chemical biology and neuropharmacology research.
Stereochemistry: trans relationship between the C1 amino/carboxyl substituent and the C3 carboxyl substituent on the cyclopentane ring; commonly handled as the trans racemate unless enantiomerically specified in a listing.
Functional groups: primary amine (C1), two carboxylic acids (C1 and C3), saturated cyclopentane ring.
Two-dimensional description: a five-membered cyclopentane bearing at C1 both an amino group and a carboxylic acid, and at C3 a second carboxylic acid; the C1 and C3 substituents are trans to each other across the ring.
Composition (literature):
Molecular formula: C7H11NO4
Molecular weight: ~173.17 g/mol
SMILES: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet. (Common literature representations correspond to trans-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylate stereoisomers.)
InChIKey: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
Notes: Where exact stereochemical configuration and structure strings are required for registration or analysis, consult the item’s CoA/Spec Sheet or SDS for definitive identifiers.
Synthetic Utility
Although primarily a ligand, trans-ACPD contains orthogonally addressable functional groups that enable derivatization and probe construction.
Functional handles:
Primary amine at C1: amenable to acylation, sulfonylation, carbamate/urea formation, and reductive alkylation (after appropriate protection strategies to avoid overreaction with acid groups).
Two carboxylic acids (C1, C3): can be esterified or coupled to amines; differential protection allows regioselective transformations.
Attachment to solid supports, fluorophores, or affinity tags through amide coupling for receptor-binding studies or pull-down assays.
Preparation of labeled analogs for transport or distribution studies.
Stereochemical considerations:
Biological targets can be stereoselective; maintain or resolve the trans stereochemistry/enantiomeric composition as needed.
Because this item is sold as a Moligand™ research ligand, no specific synthetic route or chiral specification is provided in the listing; consult CoA for further details if synthetic modification is planned.
Target Specificity
Item-specific target details are not provided.
Provided data: None for receptor subtype selectivity, Ki/EC50 values, or species specificity in this listing. Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
Literature/general context: trans-ACPD is commonly used as a metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist with activity across multiple mGluR subtypes; exact potency and selectivity depend on assay system, species, and preparation.
Users should determine subtype engagement and concentration–response relationships empirically in their experimental system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Moligand??
Moligand? is one of Aladdin Scientific's premium product lines, formulated for high-purity applications across multiple workflows. Compared to standard grades in the same workflow, Moligand? products typically offer tighter specifications, more rigorous QC, and stronger lot-to-lot consistency.
How should this product be stored?
Store at ?80 °C. Ultra-low temperature storage is required to maintain the specified shelf life.
How is this product shipped?
This product ships frozen with dry ice and cold packs. Unpack on arrival and transfer it to the storage condition stated above; handle dry ice with insulated gloves in a ventilated area.
What are the CAS number, molecular formula and molecular weight?
The CAS Number is 67684-64-4, the molecular formula is C7H11NO4, and the molecular weight is 173.17 g/mol.
What documentation is provided?
Available product documentation, including Certificates of Analysis (COA), Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and specification sheets, is shown in the product document area. Document availability and access follow the current site policy.
Need help choosing the grade?
Our grade selection guide covers purity, stabilizer status, and application suitability for all variants in our catalog.
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