The neurolathyrogen, beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid, is a potent agonist at 'glutamate preferring' receptors in the frog spinal cord.

A neurotoxic amino acid, beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionate (beta-ODAP), found in seeds of Lathyrus sativus and a possible causative agent of neurolathyrism, was equipotent with kainate as a depolarizing agent of frog spinal cord ventral roots. beta-ODAP and kainate appeared to act on a common receptor, as their actions could not be differentiated pharmacologically. These results could explain some of the symptoms of neurolathyrism.