Selective activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors with trans-lamino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (trans-ACPD) stimulates phosphoinositide hydrolysis and elicits three major physiological responses in area CA1 of the hippocampus. These include direct excitation of pyramidal cells, blockade of synaptic inhibition, and decreased transmission at the Schaffer collateral-CAl pyramidal cell synapse. Physiological effects of trans-ACPD are thought to be mediated by activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. However, it is now clear that multiple metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes exist, some of which are not coupled to phosphoinositide hydrolysis, Thus, we performed a series of studies aimed a t determining whether the physiological effects of trans-ACPD in the hippocampus are mediated by activation of the predominant phosphoinositide hydrolysis-linked glutamate receptor. We report that ~-2-amino-3phosphonopropionic acid (L-AP~), an antagonist of trans-ACPD-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis, does not inhibit the physiological effects of trans-ACPD in area CA1 at concentrations that maximally inhibit trans-ACPD-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in this region. Furthermore, lS,3S-ACPD activates the phosphoinositide hydrolysis-linked glutamate receptor but does not reduce evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in area CA1. However, we report that the physiological effects of 1R,3S-and lS,SR-ACPD are consistent with the hypothesis that these effects are mediated by activation of a metabotropic glutamate receptor. Thus, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that the physiological effects of trans-ACPD in area CA1 of the hippocampus are mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptors that are distinct from the AP3-sensitive phosphoinositide hydrolysis-linked glutamate receptor.