The tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) B neurotrophin receptor is essential for ovarian germ cell survival and primordial follicle formation, but the contributions of its ligands, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4), are unknown. We have investigated their expression and regulation in developing human and mouse ovaries. BDNF expression increased with increasing gesta...

Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells of the cerebral cortex express receptors for the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and downregulate expression of the extracellular matrix protein Reelin during early postnatal development, coincident with the onset of cortical BDNF expression. During this period, mice lacking BDNF have elevated levels of Reelin in CR cells. Acute BDNF stimulation of...

Neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) is produced by slow muscle fibers in an activity-dependent manner and promotes growth and remodeling of adult motorneuron innervation. However, both muscle fibers and motor neurons express NT-4 receptors, suggesting bidirectional NT-4 signaling at the neuromuscular junction. Mice lacking NT-4 displayed enlarged and fragmented neuromuscular junctions with disassembled posts...

INTRODUCTION The neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been identified in the human intervertebral disc (IVD) and have been implicated in the mechanisms associated with nerve ingrowth and nociception in degeneration of the IVD. The aim of the current study was to investigate an association between neurotrophin expression in the IVD and the sev...

We investigated the effects of endogenous neurotrophin signaling on the death-survival of immature retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in vivo. Null mutation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor [(BDNF) alone or in combination with neurotrophin 4 (NT4)] increases the peak rate of developmental RGC death as compared with normal. Null mutation of NT4 alone is ineffective. Null mutation of the full-leng...

Neurotrophins are important regulators of visual cortical plasticity. It is still unclear, however, whether they play similar or different roles and which are their effects on the electrical activity of cortical neurons in vivo. We therefore compared the effects of all neurotrophins, nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), and neurotrophin-3 (...

Traditionally, the primary function of oligodendrocytes (OLGs) in the CNS has been considered to be myelination. Here, we investigated whether OLGs may play a trophic role, particularly during development. Neurotrophin expression was assessed in postnatal day 7 basal forebrain (BF) OLGs, using in situ hybridization and detection of myelin basic protein. Nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurot...

It is beyond doubt that the neurotrophin family of proteins plays key roles in determining the fate of the neuron, not only during embryonic development, but also in the adult brain. Neurotrophins such as NGF (nerve growth factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) can play dual roles: first, in neuronal survival and death, and, secondly, in activity-dependent plasticity. The neurotro...