Interactions between the glutamate and glycine recognition sites of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor from rat brain, as revealed from radioligand binding studies.

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor possesses two distinct amino acid recognition sites, one for glutamate and one for glycine, which appear to be allosterically linked. Using rat cortex/hippocampus P2 membranes we have investigated the effect of glutamate recognition site ligands on [3H]glycine (agonist) and (+-)-4-trans-2-carboxy-5,7-dichloro-4- [3H]phenylaminocarbonylamino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline ([3H]L-689,560; antagonist) binding to the glycine site and the effect of glycine recognition site ligands on L-[3H]glutamate (agonist), DL-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-[3H]propyl-1-phosphonate ([3H]CPP; "C-7" antagonist), and cis-4-phosphonomethyl-2-[3H]piperidine carboxylate ([3H]CGS-19755; "C-5" antagonist) binding to the glutamate site. "C-7" glutamate site antagonists partially inhibited [3H]L-689,560 binding but had no effect on [3H]glycine binding, whereas "C-5" antagonists partially inhibited the binding of both radioligands. Glycine, D-serine, and D-cycloserine partially inhibited [3H]CGS-19755 binding but had little effect on L-[3H]glutamate or [3H]CPP binding, whereas the partial agonists (+)-3-amino-1-hydroxypyrrolid-2-one [(+)-HA-966], 3R-(+)cis-4-methyl-HA-966 (L-687,414), and 1-amino-1-carboxycyclobutane all enhanced [3H]CPP binding but had no effect on [3H]CGS-19755 binding, and (+)-HA-966 and L-687,414 inhibited L-[3H]glutamate binding. The association and dissociation rates of [3H]L-689,560 binding were decreased by CPP and D-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid ("C-5"). Saturation analysis of [3H]L-689,560 binding sites. These results indicate that complex interactions occur between the glutamate and glycine recognition sites on the NMDA receptor. In addition, mechanisms other than allosterism may underlie some effects, and the possibility of a steric interaction between CPP and [3H]L-689,560 is discussed.