Acidic amino acids, relative excitatory

Relative Excitatory Potencies of Acidic Amino Acids and Their Analogs ... 

Compounds that have agonistic properties at glutamate or aspartate receptors are also CNS stimulants, readily cause convulsions, and presumably could also be employed as analeptics. Three separate excitatory amino acid receptor subtypes have been characterized pharmacologically, based on the relative potency of synthetic agonists. These three receptors are named for their respective prototypical agonists A/-methyl-D-aspartate [6384-92-5]... 

Glutamic and aspartic acids, which are viewed as excitatory neurotransmitter amino acids, are present in the CNS in relatively large amounts. Kainic acid, which is viewed as a rigid and therefore conformationally restricted glutamate analog, has been proposed as an agonist of it, if not as a direct receptor activator, then by sensitizing these receptors to glu by some allosteric interaction. 

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