BDNF
Category: Proteins · Last updated
BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is a 119-residue homodimeric neurotrophin protein widely expressed in the central nervous system. It is the second-most studied member of the neurotrophin family after nerve growth factor (NGF) and acts through the high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor TrkB (TrkB_receptor) and the low-affinity p75 receptor.
Function
- Promotes neuronal survival and differentiation during development
- Modulates synaptic plasticity in the adult brain (long-term potentiation, learning and memory)
- Concentrated in the hippocampus, cortex, and basal forebrain — brain regions implicated in cognition and mood
Relevance to research peptides
- Semax · reported to upregulate BDNF mRNA and protein in rat hippocampus and basal forebrain (Dolotov et al. 2006; PMID 16996037 · PMID 16635254)
- Selank · reported to transiently elevate BDNF expression in rodent cortex (Russian-language preclinical literature)