Nerve Growth Factor

Trophins:

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and other members of the neurotrophin family are critical for the survival and differentiation of neurons within the peripheral and central nervous systems. Several signal transduction pathways have been implicated in mediating the intracellular components of the NGF signal, including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Experiments indicate that blockade of MAPK activation inhibits neurite induction, while constitutive MAPK activation results in neurite outgrowth.

Reviewed in:

• Barbacid M. Neurotrophic factors and their receptors. Curr Opin Cell Biol 1995 Apr;7(2):148-55
• Rosalind A. Segal and Michael E. Greenberg. Intracellular Signaling Pathways Activated by Neurotrophic Factors. Annu Rev Neurosci. 1996;19:463-89.