title: Axonal transport of BDNF precursor in primary sensory neurons.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that the precursor of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (pro-BDNF) activates p75NTR with high affinity to induce apoptosis. Here we show that pro-BDNF is transported anterogradely and retrogradely in sensory neurons of adult rats. After a crush injury of sciatic nerves, dorsal roots or dorsal column in adult Sprague-Dawley rats, the immunoreactivity for pro-BDNF accumulated at both the proximal and distal segments. The accumulation reached a maximum at 24 h after injury. Western blot analysis also revealed pro-BDNF in sciatic nerve segments proximal and distal to the ligature and in the spinal cord. Biotinylated or Alexa-488-labelled pro-BDNF injected into sciatic nerve was internalized and transported both retrogradely and anterogradely within sensory neurons. These results demonstrate that pro-BDNF is anterogradely and retrogradely transported in sensory neurons, suggesting that endogenous pro-BDNF may be released and play important functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University of South Australia, GPO Box 2100 Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Linda Lin-Yan
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xing-Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xue-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jin-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: Xin-Fu
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor