| Neurotrophin | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Identifiers | |||||||||
| Symbol | NGF | ||||||||
| Pfam | PF00243 | ||||||||
| InterPro | IPR002072 | ||||||||
| PROSITE | PDOC00221 | ||||||||
| SCOP2 | 1bet / SCOPe / SUPFAM | ||||||||
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Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival,[1] development, and function[2] of neurons.
They belong to a class of growth factors, secreted proteins that can signal particular cells to survive, differentiate, or grow.[3] Growth factors such as neurotrophins that promote the survival of neurons are known as neurotrophic factors. Neurotrophic factors are secreted by target tissue and act by preventing the associated neuron from initiating programmed cell death – allowing the neurons to survive. Neurotrophins also induce differentiation of progenitor cells, to form neurons.
Although the vast majority of neurons in the mammalian brain are formed prenatally, parts of the adult brain (for example, the hippocampus) retain the ability to grow new neurons from neural stem cells, a process known as neurogenesis.[4] Neurotrophins are chemicals that help to stimulate and control neurogenesis.
- ^ Hempstead BL (February 2006). "Dissecting the diverse actions of pro- and mature neurotrophins". Current Alzheimer Research. 3 (1): 19–24. doi:10.2174/156720506775697061. PMID 16472198. Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Reichardt LF (September 2006). "Neurotrophin-regulated signalling pathways". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 361 (1473): 1545–1564. doi:10.1098/rstb.2006.1894. PMC 1664664. PMID 16939974.
- ^ Allen SJ, Dawbarn D (February 2006). "Clinical relevance of the neurotrophins and their receptors". Clinical Science. 110 (2): 175–191. doi:10.1042/CS20050161. PMID 16411894. S2CID 9507693.
- ^ Eriksson PS, Perfilieva E, Björk-Eriksson T, Alborn AM, Nordborg C, Peterson DA, Gage FH (November 1998). "Neurogenesis in the adult human hippocampus". Nature Medicine. 4 (11): 1313–1317. doi:10.1038/3305. PMID 9809557.