We have quantified the effects of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (R)-[(S)-1-(4-bromo-phenyl)-ethylamino]-(2,3-dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquino xalin-5-yl)-methyl]-phosphonic acid (NVP-AAM077) at rat recombinant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NR)1/NR2A and NR1/NR2B NMDA receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. We observed no difference in the steady-state levels of inhibition produced by NVP-AAM077 when it was either preapplied or coapplied with glutamate. The IC50 values for NVP-AAM077 acting at NR1/NR2A NMDA receptors were, as expected, dependent on the glutamate concentration used to evoke responses, being 31 +/- 2 nM (with glutamate at its EC50 concentration) and 214 +/- 10 nM (at 10 times the EC50 concentration). Schild analysis confirmed that the antagonism produced by NVP-AAM077 at NR1/NR2A NMDA receptors was competitive and gave an estimate of its equilibrium constant (K(B)) of 15 +/- 2 nM. Furthermore, Schild analysis of an NMDA receptor carrying a threonine-to-alanine point mutation in the NR2A ligand binding site indicated that NVP-AAM077 still acted in a competitive manner but with its K(B) increased by around 15-fold. At NR1/NR2B NMDA receptors, NVP-AAM077 displayed reduced potency. An IC50 value of 215 +/- 13 nM was obtained in the presence of the EC50 concentration of glutamate (1.5 microM), whereas a value of 2.2 +/- 0.14 microM was obtained with higher (15 microM) glutamate concentrations. Schild analysis gave a K(B) for NVP-AAM077 at NR2B-containing receptors of 78 +/- 3 nM. Finally, using a kinetic scheme to model "synaptic-like" activation of NMDA receptors, we show that the difference in the equilibrium constants for NVP-AAM077 is not sufficient to discriminate between NR2A-containing or NR2B-containing NMDA receptors.