Low affinity nerve growth factor receptor

The Neurotrophins

The neurotrophins are comprised of four proteins, all of which bind to the LNGFR: Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (NT-3), and Neurotrophin-4 (NT-4.

TrkA complex is subsequently trafficked back to the cell body. This movement of NGF from axon tip to soma is thought to be involved in the long-distance signaling of neurons.

The activation of TrkA by NGF is critical in inducing the survival and differentiation caused by this growth factor.

However, NGF binds at least two receptors on the surface of cells which are capable of responding to this growth factor, TrkA (pronounced "Track A") and the LNGFR.

The Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases

NT-3.

The role of the LNGFR

As opposed to TrkA, the LNGFR may signal a cell to die via apoptosis - so therefore cells expressing the LNGFR in the absence of Trk receptors may die rather than live in the presence of a neurotrophin.^[1]

References

1. ^ Ibáñez C (2002). "Jekyll-Hyde neurotrophins: the story of proNGF". Trends Neurosci 25 (6): 284-6. PMID 12086739.

• Buxser S, Puma P, Johnson G (1985). "Properties of the nerve growth factor receptor. Relationship between receptor structure and affinity". J Biol Chem 260 (3): 1917-26. PMID 2981877.

• Radeke M, Misko T, Hsu C, Herzenberg L, Shooter E. "Gene transfer and molecular cloning of the rat nerve growth factor receptor". Nature 325 (6105): 593-7. PMID 3027580.

• Glass D, Nye S, Hantzopoulos P, Macchi M, Squinto S, Goldfarb M, Yancopoulos G (1991). "NT-3-dependent survival and proliferation in fibroblasts lacking the low affinity NGF receptor". Cell 66 (2): 405-13. PMID 1649703.

External links

• MeSH Nerve+Growth+Factor+Receptor,+Low-Affinity