Neurotrophin receptors: mediators of life and death.
The mechanism of action of NGF has continued to provide a challenging and formidable problem in signal transduction. NGF can bind independently to two different receptors, the trkA tyrosine kinase receptor and the p75 neurotrophin receptor, which are involved in many different signaling events. In addition to promoting cell differentiation survival, NGF can paradoxically be an inducer of cell death. Several receptor mediated mechanisms are proposed to explain how NGF might act as a trophic factor and as a cell killer. The survival and cell death properties of the receptors are dependent upon the relative ratio of receptors and the persistent nature of the signaling events.
Chao
M
M
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cornell University Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA. mchao@med.cornell.edu
Casaccia-Bonnefil
P
P
Carter
B
B
Chittka
A
A
Kong
H
H
Yoon
S O
SO
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020917:Receptor, trkA