NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central
nervous system and are critically involved in brain function. NMDA receptors are also implicated in
psychiatric and neurological disorders and have received considerable attention as therapeutic targets. In
this regard, administration of D-cycloserine (DCS), which is a glycine site NMDA receptor agonist, can
enhance extinction of conditioned fear responses. The intriguing behavioral effects of DCS have been
linked to its unique pharmacological profile among NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN1/2A-D), in which
DCS is a superagonist at GluN2C-containing receptors compared to glycine and a partial agonist at
GluN2B-contain... More
NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central
nervous system and are critically involved in brain function. NMDA receptors are also implicated in
psychiatric and neurological disorders and have received considerable attention as therapeutic targets. In
this regard, administration of D-cycloserine (DCS), which is a glycine site NMDA receptor agonist, can
enhance extinction of conditioned fear responses. The intriguing behavioral effects of DCS have been
linked to its unique pharmacological profile among NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN1/2A-D), in which
DCS is a superagonist at GluN2C-containing receptors compared to glycine and a partial agonist at
GluN2B-containing receptors. Here, we identify AICP as a glycine site agonist with unique GluN2-
dependent differences in agonist efficacy at recombinant NMDA receptor subtypes. AICP is a full agonist
at GluN1/2A (100% response compared to glycine), a partial agonist at GluN1/2B and GluN1/2D (10%
and 27%, respectively), and a highly efficacious superagonist at GluN1/2C receptors (353%).
Furthermore, AICP potencies are enhanced compared to DCS with EC50 values in the low nanomolar
range (1.7 nM at GluN1/2C). We show that GluN1/2C superagonism of AICP and DCS is mediated by
overlapping, but distinct mechanisms, and that AICP selectively enhances responses from recombinant
GluN1/2C receptors in the presence of physiological glycine concentrations. This functional selectivity of
AICP for GluN2C-containing NMDA receptors is more pronounced compared to DCS, suggesting that
AICP can be a useful tool compound for uncovering the roles of GluN2C subunits in neuronal circuit
function and in the development of new therapeutic strategies.