Maintenance

Question 1

What is neutrophin for? Give an example of a neutrophin

Answer 1

Neutrophin is needed for development and important for mature neurons, without them there tends to be atrophy in mature and cell death in developing neurons. Neutrophin plays an important for in axon terminals. NGF is a neutrophin

Question 2

Withdrawal of the neutrophins does what

Answer 2

Decreased transmitter production, decreased transmitter release, retraction of axonal branches, reduction in cell body size and gradual de-differentiation.

Question 3

What are the targets for the following neutrophins:
NGF
BNDF
NT3 
NT4

Answer 3

10. NGF – nociceptive sensory neurons, sympathetic ganglia neurons, cholinergic neurons of basal forebrain
    BDNF – light touch sensory neurons, some motor neurons, dopaminergic neurons of midbrain
    NT3 - Proprioceptive sensory neuron
    NT4 – Some sensory neurons

Question 4

What receptor and co-receptor do the neutrophins bind to?

Answer 4

TrK receptor and p75 is the co-receptor.

P75 in conjuction with TrK increases specificity and sensitivity

Question 5

NGF is what type of structure and how does it bind to the receptor?

Answer 5

NGF consists of 2 identical monomers and each monomer has a receptor binding site (TrKA) and NGF binding will bring the two receptors together.

Question 6

What are the outcomes of Neutrophin binding so think of P13 kinase, ras and PLC

Answer 6

P13 Kinase - PKB kinase for cell survival

Ras - Kinases and MAP kinases for neurite outgrowth

PLC - Ip3 for calcium release and DAG for PKC activation, both leading to activity dependent plasticity