Neurotrophins Flashcards
What are trophic factors?
Factors made by neuronal target which influence neuronal/synaptic survival
What did Vicktor Hamburger do and what did this show?
Removed the limb bud - resulted in fewer motor neurons in the ventral horn and fewer DRG neurons on the side of removal
Added in an extra limb bud - extra muscle, more motor and sensory neuron survival
If there is a larger target, what influence does this have on the number of neurons and synapses?
Increases it
Why are there differences in neuron number when limb buds are added or removed and why?
Due to changes in cell death
Programmes cell death matches the number of neurons to the size of the target field
What did Bueker hypothesise?
Trophic survival factors are secreted by fast-growing muscle-like cells
What experiment did Bueker do?
What did this show?
- Took a sarcoma cell like derived from a muscle tumor cell and placed it into a chick embryo near the spinal cord
- This increased the amount of neurons IN THAT AREA
- Then, took the sarcoma cell GENERALLY in the egg - so that the factors produces (trophic factors)
- This had a general effect on all of the neurons (even when there was no direct contact between the tumor and the embryo)
- Implanted sarcoma provoked selective survival of non-placodal sensory and sympathetic neurons
- Demonstrated the presence of a diffusible growth factor
When raise antibodies against NGF (nerve growth factor) what happens?
Blockage of DRG growth
Do ALL sarcomas promote neuronal survival?
No
Where can NGF be purified from?
Sarcoma tissue
Muscle
Snake venom
Submaxillary gland
What is the structure of 7S-NGF?
- Protein complex
- 2 alpha, 2 gamma and one beta subunit (a2by2)
In NGF, what is the importance of the beta subunit and what is the structure of it?
Active component of the complex
Dimer
In NGF, what is the importance of the alpha and gamma subunits and where are they found?
Storage complex of the beta subunit
Only found in the submaxillary glad
What are the levels of trophic factors proportional to?
The size of the target
Where produces neurotrophic molecules and what effect does this have on nerves?
Muscles - promotes the survival of the neurons that innervate them
What can NGF do?
Promote cell outgrowth
Promotes cell survival
Guide growth cones in vitro (chemoattractant)
How does NGF signalling occur, what does this mean?
NGF and NGF receptor is internalised and undergoes retrograde transport from the growth cone to the cell body
DRG cell bodies can take up NGF, even when it is only applied to their axons
What is the high affinity NGF receptor?
What is the low affinity NGF receptor?
High affinity: TrkA
Low affinity: P75-NTR
What is the TrkA?
A receptor tyrosine kinase
What happens when the TrkA is activated?
- Dimerisation
- Autophosphoylation
- Activates CREB, which binds to DNA and causes transcription
What does the TrkA affect when it is activated?
Survival
Differentiation
Growth
Movement
What does the P75-NTR NGF receptor affect when it is activated?
Promotes cell death or cell survival, depending on context
Which family is NGF a part of?
Neurotophin family
What are other neurotrophins, as well as NGF?
Brain-derived growth factor (BDGF)
NT3 and NT4/5
Why is it hard to identify neurotrophins?
Present in low levels in the nervous system
Why are neurotrophins present in low levels in the nervous system?
So they can SELECTIVELY chose which neurons survive
If high levels - get inappropriate neuron growth
What are NT made as?
What does this mean?
Pro-proteins
Have parts which must be cleaved in order for them to become active
Which NT bind to which receptors?
NGF to TrkA
BDNF and NT 4/5 to TrkB
NT3 to TrkC
All can bind to P75
Which receptor can the pro-protein of a NT bind to?
P75
What is the activation of the different NT receptors required for?
Survival of DIFFERENT SETS of neurons
How are the NT receptors expressed in the body and why?
Differently in different neurons as different neuron types are dependant on different NT