title: Neurotrophins: transcription and translation.
abstract: Neurotrophins are powerful molecules. Small quantities of these secreted proteins exert robust effects on neuronal survival, synapse stabilization, and synaptic function. Key functions of the neurotrophins rely on these proteins being expressed at the right time and in the right place. This is especially true for BDNF, stimulus-inducible expression of which serves as an essential step in the transduction of a broad variety of extracellular stimuli into neuronal plasticity of physiologically relevant brain regions. Here we review the transcriptional and translational mechanisms that control neurotrophin expression with a particular focus on the activity-dependent regulation of BDNF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA, west@neuro.duke.edu.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pruunsild
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timmusk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D020871:RNA Stability
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors