The nagging question of the function of N-acetylaspartylglutamate

N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is a neuropeptide found in millimolar concentrations in brain that is localized to subpopulations of glutamatergic, cholinergic, GABAergic, and noradrenergic neuronal systems. NAAG is released upon depolarization by a Ca(2+)-dependent process and is an agonist at mGluR3 receptors and an antagonist at NMDA receptors. NAAG is catabolized to N-acetylaspartate and glutamate primarily by glutamate Carboxypeptidase II, which is expressed on the extracellular surface of astrocytes. The levels of NAAG and the activity of Carboxypeptidase II are altered in a regionally specific fashion in several neuropsychiatric disorders.