摘要
Neurotrophins (NTs) are implicated in the maintenance and survival of the peripheral and central nervous systems and mediate several forms of synaptic plasticity. Members of the family include nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), NT3, and NT4. NTs were first identified as survival factors for developing neurons, but are pleiotropic molecules that can exert a variety of functions, including the regulation of neuronal differentiation, axonal and dendritic growth, and synaptic plasticity (Bothwell, 2014). NTs interact with two distinct types of receptors: the common p75 neurotrophin receptor, which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily of death receptors and the Trk receptor tyrosine kinase family.
