Biological function of D-aspartate in the mammalian brain

D-Asp is highly concentrated in the prenatal brain; after birth, its levels sharply decrease due to the catabolising activity of the enzyme D-aspartate oxidase. D-Asp is able to stimulate NMDAR-dependent neurotransmission through direct action at the glutamate-binding site of NMDARs, thus functioning as an endogenous agonist for this subclass of glutamate receptors. The agonistic activity exerted by D-Asp on NMDARs and its neurodevelopmental occurrence make this D-amino acid a potential mediator for some of the NMDAR-related alterations observed in schizophrenia. Therefore, aim of the research is to investigate about the potential role of D-Asp in schizophrenia-relevant circuits and behaviors.