neurotrophin
Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival, development, and function of neurons.
Key facts
- Protein family.Symbol
- NGF
- Protein family.Name
- Neurotrophin
- Protein family.image
- 3BUK.pdb.png
- Protein family.Pfam
- PF00243
- Protein family.InterPro
- IPR002072
- Protein family.Prosite
- PDOC00221
- Protein family.SCOP
- 1bet
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Function
- Receptors
- Types
- Nerve growth factor
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
- Neurotrophin-3
- Neurotrophin-4
- DHEA and DHEA sulfate
- Role in programmed cell death
- See also
- References
- External links
Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival, development, and function of neurons.
They belong to a class of growth factors. Growth factors such as neurotrophins that promote the survival of neurons are known as neurotrophic factors. Neurotrophic factors are secreted by target tissue and act by preventing the associated neuron from initiating programmed cell death – allowing the neurons to survive. Neurotrophins also induce differentiation of progenitor cells, to form neurons.