The tetrazole-substituted amino acid (+/-)-(2SR,4RS)-4-(1H-tetrazol-5-ylmethyl)pip eri dine-2-carboxylic acid (LY233053, (+/-)-1) was resolved into its constituent enantiomers by treatment of a key intermediate in the synthesis of the racemic amino acid, ethyl (+/-)-cis-4-(cyanomethyl)-N-allylpiperidine-2-carboxylate, with either 2S,3S- or 2R,3R-di-p-toluoyltartaric acid. These resolved amines were then converted as for the racemate to the amino acids (-)-1 and (+)-1. The activity of this potent and selective NMDA antagonist was found to reside with the (-)-isomer of 1 (LY235723). X-ray crystallographic analysis of the 2S,3S-di-p-toluoyltartaric acid salt of ethyl cis-4-(cyanomethyl)-N-allylpiperidine-2-carboxylate showed that the resolved amine, and thus (-)-1, possessed the 2R,4S absolute stereochemistry. Affinity for the NMDA receptor was determined using the specific radioligand [3H]-(2SR,4RS)-4-(phosphonomethyl)piperidine-2-carboxylic acid ([3H]CGS 19755; IC50 = 67 +/- 6 nM), and selective NMDA antagonist activity was determined using a cortical slice preparation (IC50 versus 40 microM NMDA = 1.9 +/- 0.24 microM). This compound also demonstrated potent NMDA antagonist activity in vivo following systemic administration through its ability to block NMDA-induced convulsions in neonatal rats, NMDA-induced lethality in mice, and NMDA-induced striatal neuronal degeneration in rats.