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The Neurotrophin System in the Postnatal Brain—An Introduction
Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Friedrich Loeffler Str. 23c, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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Biology 2024, 13(8), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13080558 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 19 June 2024
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Revised: 11 July 2024
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Accepted: 23 July 2024
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Published: 24 July 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Roles and Functions of Neurotrophins and Their Receptors in the Brain)
Simple Summary
In this review, the neurotrophin system in the postnatal brain will be introduced. Neurotrophins are proteins that play a crucial role in the development, maintenance, and function of the nervous system. They can bind to specific receptors, including the Trk family of receptors and a low-affinity receptor called p75NTR. These proteins are involved in synaptic and neuronal plasticity, which affects learning, memory, and cognition. Disturbances in the neurotrophin system can contribute to psychiatric diseases. Additionally, age-related changes in brain function correlate with alterations in neurotrophin expression levels.
Abstract
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.
