Astrocytic d‐amino acid oxidase degrades d‐serine in the hindbrain.

d‐Serine modulates excitatory neurotransmission by binding to N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate glutamate receptors. d‐Amino acid oxidase (DAO) degrades d‐amino acids, such as d‐serine, in the central nervous system, and is associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, cell types that express brain DAO remain controversial, and whether brain DAO influences systemic d‐amino acids in addition to brain d‐serine remains unclear. Here, we created astrocyte‐specific DAO‐conditional knockout mice. Knockout in glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive cells eliminated DAO expression in the hindbrain and increased d‐serine levels significantly in the cerebellum. Brain DAO did not influence levels of d‐amino acids in the forebrain or periphery. These results show that astrocytic DAO regulates d‐serine specifically in the hindbrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]