von Bohlen Und Halbach Oliver, Klausch Monique
Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Friedrich Loeffler Str. 23c, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Jul 24;13(8):558. doi: 10.3390/biology13080558.
Neurotrophins can bind to and signal through specific receptors that belong to the class of the Trk family of tyrosine protein kinase receptors. In addition, they can bind and signal through a low-affinity receptor, termed p75NTR. Neurotrophins play a crucial role in the development, maintenance, and function of the nervous system in vertebrates, but they also have important functions in the mature nervous system. In particular, they are involved in synaptic and neuronal plasticity. Thus, it is not surprisingly that they are involved in learning, memory and cognition and that disturbance in the neurotrophin system can contribute to psychiatric diseases. The neurotrophin system is sensitive to aging and changes in the expression levels correlate with age-related changes in brain functions. Several polymorphisms in genes coding for the different neurotrophins or neurotrophin receptors have been reported. Based on the importance of the neurotrophins for the central nervous system, it is not surprisingly that several of these polymorphisms are associated with psychiatric diseases. In this review, we will shed light on the functions of neurotrophins in the postnatal brain, especially in processes that are involved in synaptic and neuronal plasticity.
神经营养因子可与酪氨酸蛋白激酶受体Trk家族中的特定受体结合并通过其发出信号。此外，它们还能与一种名为p75NTR的低亲和力受体结合并发出信号。神经营养因子在脊椎动物神经系统的发育、维持和功能中发挥着关键作用，但它们在成熟神经系统中也具有重要功能。特别是，它们参与突触和神经元可塑性。因此，它们参与学习、记忆和认知，且神经营养因子系统的紊乱会导致精神疾病，也就不足为奇了。神经营养因子系统对衰老敏感，其表达水平的变化与脑功能的年龄相关变化相关。据报道，编码不同神经营养因子或神经营养因子受体的基因存在几种多态性。鉴于神经营养因子对中枢神经系统的重要性，这些多态性中有几种与精神疾病相关也就不足为奇了。在这篇综述中，我们将阐明神经营养因子在出生后大脑中的功能，特别是在参与突触和神经元可塑性的过程中的功能。
