Yang Xin, Huang Yu-Wen Alvin, Marshall John
Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Neural Regen Res. 2025 Mar 1;20(3):715-724. doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-23-02000. Epub 2024 May 13.
Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling plays a pivotal role in dendritic growth and dendritic spine formation to promote learning and memory. The activity-dependent release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor at synapses binds to pre- or postsynaptic TrkB resulting in the strengthening of synapses, reflected by long-term potentiation. Postsynaptically, the association of postsynaptic density protein-95 with TrkB enhances phospholipase Cγ-Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling required for long-term potentiation. In this review, we discuss TrkB-postsynaptic density protein-95 coupling as a promising strategy to magnify brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling towards the development of novel therapeutics for specific neurological disorders. A reduction of TrkB signaling has been observed in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, and enhancement of postsynaptic density protein-95 association with TrkB signaling could mitigate the observed deficiency of neuronal connectivity in schizophrenia and depression. Treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor is problematic, due to poor pharmacokinetics, low brain penetration, and side effects resulting from activation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor or the truncated TrkB.T1 isoform. Although TrkB agonists and antibodies that activate TrkB are being intensively investigated, they cannot distinguish the multiple human TrkB splicing isoforms or cell type-specific functions. Targeting TrkB-postsynaptic density protein-95 coupling provides an alternative approach to specifically boost TrkB signaling at localized synaptic sites versus global stimulation that risks many adverse side effects.
原肌球蛋白受体激酶B(TrkB)信号传导在树突生长和树突棘形成中起关键作用,以促进学习和记忆。突触处脑源性神经营养因子的活性依赖性释放与突触前或突触后的TrkB结合,导致突触增强,这通过长时程增强来体现。在突触后,突触后致密蛋白95与TrkB的结合增强了磷脂酶Cγ - Ca2+/钙调蛋白依赖性蛋白激酶II以及长时程增强所需的磷脂酰肌醇3激酶 - 雷帕霉素作用靶点信号传导。在本综述中,我们讨论TrkB - 突触后致密蛋白95偶联作为一种有前景的策略,以放大脑源性神经营养因子信号传导,从而开发针对特定神经疾病的新型疗法。在神经退行性疾病如阿尔茨海默病和亨廷顿病中已观察到TrkB信号传导减少,增强突触后致密蛋白95与TrkB信号传导的结合可减轻精神分裂症和抑郁症中观察到的神经元连接缺陷。由于药代动力学差、脑渗透性低以及激活p75神经营养因子受体或截短的TrkB.T1亚型所导致的副作用,使用脑源性神经营养因子进行治疗存在问题。尽管正在深入研究激活TrkB的TrkB激动剂和抗体,但它们无法区分多种人类TrkB剪接异构体或细胞类型特异性功能。靶向TrkB - 突触后致密蛋白95偶联提供了一种替代方法,可在局部突触位点特异性增强TrkB信号传导,而不是进行可能带来许多不良副作用的全身性刺激。