Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2012 Jul 1;177(3):315-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.01.001. Epub 2012 Jan 10.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is, despite its name, also found outside the central nervous system (CNS), but the functional significance of this observation is largely unknown. This review concerns the expression of BDNF in the pituitary gland. While the presence of the neurotrophin in the mammalian pituitary gland is well documented its functional significance remains obscure. Studies on the pars intermedia of the pituitary of the amphibian Xenopus laevis have shown that BDNF is produced by the neuroendocrine melanotrope cells, its expression is physiologically regulated, and the melanotrope cells themselves express receptors for the neurotrophin. The neurotrophin has been shown to act as an autocrine factor on the melanotrope to promote cell growth and regulate gene expression. In doing so BDNF supports the physiological function of the cell to produce and release α-melanophore-stimulating hormone for the purpose of adjusting the animal's skin color to that of its background.
脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）尽管其名称如此，也存在于中枢神经系统（CNS）之外，但这一观察的功能意义在很大程度上尚不清楚。这篇综述涉及脑源性神经营养因子在垂体中的表达。尽管神经营养因子在哺乳动物垂体中的存在已有充分的记录，但它的功能意义仍然不清楚。对两栖动物非洲爪蟾中间叶垂体的研究表明，BDNF 由神经内分泌黑素细胞产生，其表达受到生理调节，黑素细胞本身表达神经营养因子的受体。该神经营养因子已被证明作为自分泌因子作用于黑素细胞以促进细胞生长并调节基因表达。这样，BDNF 支持细胞的生理功能，产生并释放α-促黑素细胞激素，目的是调节动物的皮肤颜色与其背景颜色相匹配。
