Synthesis and activity of a potent N-methyl-D-aspartic acid agonist, trans-1-aminocyclobutane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid, and related phosphonic and carboxylic acids.

We report the synthesis of a series of 3-carboxy-, 3-(carboxymethyl)-, 3-(omega-phosphonoalkyl)-1-aminocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acids for evaluation as agonists or antagonists of neurotransmission at excitatory amino acid receptors, particularly N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. The compounds were evaluated as agonists on their ability to depolarize the rat brain cortical wedge preparation or as antagonist of the actions of the selective agonists NMDA, quisqualic acid, and kainic acid. The chain-elongated glutamate derivatives with potential antagonist activity proved to be weak and frequently nonselective antagonists in this assay. The most noteworthy result was that trans isomer 7b was a very potent agonist, approximately 20 times more active than NMDA at NMDA receptors, while the cis isomer was 1/3 as potent as NMDA.