glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (gdnf) plays important roles not only for the differentiation of neurons during normal development but also for the survival and recovery of many populations of mature neurons. the effect of traumatic brain injury (tbi) on the expression of gdnf is currently unknown. to determine if there is alteration in gdnf after tbi we examined the effect of contr...

The secretion of BDNF from neurons is under activity-dependent control: this is crucial for the formation of appropriate synaptic connections during development and for learning and memory in adults. New evidence shows that interaction between a motif in the tertiary structure of BDNF and the sorting receptor carboxypeptidase E directs this neurotrophin to the regulated secretory pathway.

Several findings have suggested that the neurotrophin BDNF could contribute to clinical efficacy of antidepressant treatments. The purpose of this study was to analyse if ECT operates a modulation of serum BDNF levels in a sample of drug resistant depressed patients. The results obtained show significantly higher serum levels of BDNF following ECT. More specifically, while no change occurred in...

The neurotrophin gene family comprises four structurally related basic proteins, NGF, BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4/5. Despite high structural homology, these neurotrophins operate via different high-affinity membrane receptors, differ in target specificity, patterns of spatial and temporal distribution and responses to injury of the neuronal tissue. Based on the recent data, some aspects of BDNF and NT-...

Disturbed neural development has been postulated as a crucial factor in the pathophysiology of schizophrenic psychoses. The neurobiochemical basis for such changes of cytoarchitecture and changed neural plasticity could involve an alteration in the regulation of neurotrophic factors. In order to test this hypothesis, BDNF and NT-3 levels in post-mortem brain tissue from schizophrenic patients w...

Neurotrophins are important proteins that regulate survival, development and function of neurons. They are produced by a variety of cells and exert their effects upon binding to specific tyrosine kinase receptors. The first neurotrophin to be identified was Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). From the pioneer studies performed by Rita-Levi Montalcini, awarded with the Nobel Prize, other neurotrophins ha...

In this report, we have examined the role of neuron-derived BDNF at an accessible synapse, that of preganglionic neurons onto their sympathetic neuron targets. Developing and mature sympathetic neurons synthesize BDNF, and preganglionic neurons express the full-length BDNF/TrkB receptor. When sympathetic neuron-derived BDNF is increased 2- to 4-fold in transgenic mice, preganglionic cell bodies...

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor is one of the most potent motoneuron survival factors yet identified. Although retrograde transport of trophic factors to the cell body is thought to be an important process in motoneuron survival, the transport pathways that lead to interaction of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor with its receptors is not known. We have used a double ligat...