title: Neurobiology of local and intercellular BDNF signaling.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family of secreted proteins. Signaling cascades induced by BDNF and its receptor, the receptor tyrosine kinase TrkB, link neuronal growth and differentiation with synaptic plasticity. For this reason, interference with BDNF signaling has emerged as a promising strategy for potential treatments in psychiatric and neurological disorders. In many brain circuits, synaptically released BDNF is essential for structural and functional long-term potentiation, two prototypical cellular models of learning and memory formation. Recent studies have revealed an unexpected complexity in the synaptic communication of mature BDNF and its precursor proBDNF, not only between local pre- and postsynaptic neuronal targets but also with participation of glial cells. Here, we consider recent findings on local actions of the BDNF family of ligands at the synapse and discuss converging lines of evidence which emerge from per se conflicting results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, 97078, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123, Povo, TN, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vignoli
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123, Povo, TN, Italy.|European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) "Rita Levi-Montalcini", 00143, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canossa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, 97078, Würzburg, Germany. Blum_R@UKW.de.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5270-3854
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D020813:Receptor, trkB
keywords: Anxiety disorders; BDNF; Long-term potentiation; Signaling; Synaptic localization; Synaptic plasticity; TrkB