We found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt in cerebellar granule neurons was specifically potentiated by LPC. LPC also augmented the BDNF-induced phosphorylation of TrkB, the receptor for BDNF. In TrkB-transfected CHO-K1 cells, LPC potentiated BDNF-induced MAPK phosphorylation. These results suggest that LPC ...

Signaling by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) via the TrkB receptor, or by neurotrophin-3 (NT3) through the TrkC receptor support distinct populations of sensory neurons. The intracellular signaling pathways activated by Trk (tyrosine kinase) receptors, which in vivo promote neuronal survival and target innervation, are not well understood. Using mice with TrkB or TrkC receptors lacking...

The Trk family of receptors play a wide variety of roles in physiological and disease processes in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Amongst these the TrkB receptor in particular has attracted major attention due to its critical role in signalling for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4). TrkB signalling is indispensable for the survival,...

The retina of the adult zebrafish express brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its signaling receptor TrkB. This functional system is involved in the biology of the vertebrate retina and its expression is regulated by light. This study was designed to investigate the effects of cyclic (12 h light/12 h darkness) or continuous (24 h) exposure during 10 days to white light, white-blue ligh...

Activation of primary afferent nociceptors produces acute, short-lived pain, and tissue or nerve injury induces long-term enhancement of nociceptive processing, manifested as hypersensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimulation. Here we used a chemical-genetic and pharmacological approach to study the contribution of the receptor tyrosine kinase, type 2 (TrkB) to the generation and maintenanc...

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration is irreversible in glaucoma and tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB)-associated signaling pathways have been implicated in the process. In this study, we attempted to examine whether imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, may protect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced RGC degeneration through the activation of the TrkB pathway in RGC-5 cell lines. RGC-5 cell...

Mice lacking monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) display high levels of brain serotonin during the first postnatal week, causing an exuberant outgrowth of thalamocortical axons (TCAs) in layer IV of the somatosensory cortex (S1). We asked whether this exuberance is attributable to abnormal TrkB signaling, because modulation of TrkB signaling during a critical period dramatically influences the segregati...

BACKGROUND Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), signaling represent potential therapeutic targets for major depressive disorder. The purpose of this study is to examine whether TrkB ligands show antidepressant effects in an inflammation-induced model of depression. METHODS In this study, we examined the effects of TrkB agonist 7,8-dih...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and TrkB receptor signaling contribute to the central nervous system (CNS) control of energy balance. The role of hindbrain BDNF/TrkB receptor signaling in energy balance regulation is examined here. Hindbrain ventricular BDNF suppressed body weight through reductions in overall food intake and meal size and by increasing core temperature. To localize th...

An RT-PCR protocol for the relative quantitative measurement of TrkB transcripts using glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPD) transcripts as an internal control is described. Both TrkB and GAPD sequences were co-amplified in the exponential phase of amplification using 5'-biotinylated primers. The PCR products were subjected to PAGE, electro-transferred to nylon membrane and detected b...