Neurotrophins, like many growth factors, are expressed as precursor proteins which are then truncated and further modified to yield the …
Continue readingNeurotrophins
NGF: One Molecule, Multiple Functions
Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is one of the founding and best-characterized members of the neurotrophin family. This family comprises a …
By Dovrat Brass, Ph.D., B.Pharm
Continue reading BDNF – Second Best?
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is the second best characterized neurotrophin (following NGF) and acts as a key contributor to …
By Alon Meir, Ph.D.
Continue reading p75NTR – The Promiscuous Receptor
The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) could bind a variety of proteins all with biological significance. While this receptor has no …
By Melanie Grably, Ph.D.
Continue reading The Role of Neurotrophin Receptor p75NTR in Cancer
No generalizations about the role of this enigmatic receptor in cancer can be made. As in all other aspects of …
By Phyllis Dan, Ph.D.
Continue reading Live or Let Die in Neuroscience: The Story of the Proneurotrophins
Although it has been more than forty years since the neurotrophins were first discovered we are only now starting to …
By Phyllis Dan, Ph.D.
Continue reading GDNF – a Neurotrophic Survival Factor
Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) is the major member of the GDNF family protein which is distantly related to the TGF-β …
By Yossi Anis, Ph.D.
Continue reading Novel Neurotrophic Factors
Heparin – binding growth factors have been implicated in central nervous system development, regeneration and pathology. Typical members of this family of secreted cytokines are basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (human FGF-basic), Midkine and Pleiotrophin.
human Midkine, a 13 kDa heparin-binding growth factor with 50% sequence identity to Pleiotrophin is the product of a retinoic acid responsive gene and is a developmental regulated, highly conserved, neurotrophic factor2 which induces neurite extension3 ,4 and neuronal survival5. human Pleiotrophin, an 18 kDa, heparin–binding growth – associated molecule (HB-GAM,HBGF-8)6 is also a developmentally regulated neurotrophin which promotes neurite out growth7, 8, axonal guidance9 and
By Alomone Labs
Continue reading Role of Neurotrophins in Synapse Formation
The neurotrophins (“neuro” means nerve and “trophe” means nutrient)1 are a family of soluble, basic growth factors which regulate neuronal development, maintenance, survival and death in the central and peripheral nervous systems2. They include NGF, the first member of the family to be discovered, BDNF, NT3 and NT4/5. Their actions are mediated by two types of receptors: the Trk family, which matches each neurotrophin to its own receptor3, and p75NTR which is a universal neurotrophin receptor4.
The neurotrophins have been shown to affect dendritic and axonal growth5, efficacy of synaptic transmission6. maturation of synaptic contacts, density of synaptic
By Phyllis Dan, Ph.D.
Continue reading Proneurotrophins: The other half of the neurotrophin story
Although it has been more than fifty years since the neurotrophins were first discovered we are only now starting to …
By Phyllis Dan, Ph.D.
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