title: Profound and selective loss of catalytic TrkB immunoreactivity in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to have trophic effects on various neurons, throughout the brain and spinal cord, via its high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor TrkB. It has been reported that the mRNA for this neurotrophin is reduced in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. We have examined, by Western blotting, the catalytic (p145) and noncatalytic or truncated (p95) forms of TrkB and find that, in both the temporal and frontal cortex, there is a selective loss of immunoreactive-positive staining for the catalytic or kinase form compared with the truncated form. This may have important consequences for the neurotrophic support of vulnerable neurons in AD.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Care of the Elderly), University of Bristol, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, BS2 8HW, United Kingdom. shelley.allan@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Wilcock
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dawbarn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D020813:Receptor, trkB