Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR4, 6, 7, 8) are negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase and, when activated presynaptically, decrease the release of glutamate and GABA. We have used intracerebroventricular injections of agonists and antagonists believed to act selectively on these receptors to study the pro- or anti-convulsant effects of mGluR III activation in nonepileptic (Swiss-Webster) and epileptic (DBA/2) mice. In both mouse strains the prototypic agonists L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoate (LAP4) and L-serine-O-phosphate are proconvulsant. The supposed antagonists (S)-2-methyl-2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoate (MAP4) and (RS)-alpha-methyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (MPPG), have a predominantly proconvulsant effect. (S)-alpha-methyl-3-carboxyphenylalanine, which is a potent and selective antagonist for LAP4 in the cortex, is anticonvulsant in DBA/2 mice and decreases the convulsant effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate, 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, LAP4 and MPPG in Swiss-Webster mice. These data suggest that reduced inhibitory transmission may be more significant than reduced synaptic release of glutamate following group III mGluR activation.