Scientific background: |
Neurotrophic tyrosine kinase, receptor, type 2 , also known as BDNF/NT-3 growth factors receptor or TrkB receptor, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NTRK2 gene. The TrkB receptor is part of the large family of receptor tyrosine kinases. This gene is mapped to 9q21.33. This kinase is a membrane-bound receptor that, upon neurotrophin binding, phosphorylates itself and members of the MAPK pathway. Signalling through this kinase leads to cell differentiation. Mutations in this gene have been associated with obesity and mood disorders. Alternate transcriptional splice variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. |
References: |
1. Berghuis, P., Dobszay, M. B., Wang, X., Spano, S., Ledda, F., Sousa, K. M., Schulte, G., Ernfors, P., Mackie, K., Paratcha, G., Hurd, Y. L., Harkany, T. Endocannabinoids regulate interneuron migration and morphogenesis by transactivating the TrkB receptor. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 102: 19115-19120, 2005.
2. Luberg, K., Wong, J., Weickert, C. S., Timmusk, T. Human TrkB gene: novel alterative transcripts, protein isoforms and expression pattern in the prefrontal cerebral cortex during postnatal development. J. Neurochem. 113: 952-964, 2010.
3. Nikoletopoulou, V., Lickert, H., Frade, J. M., Rencurel, C., Giallonardo, P., Zhang, L., Bibel, M., Barde, Y.-A. Neurotrophin receptors TrkA and TrkC cause neuronal death whereas TrkB does not. Nature 467: 59-63, 2010.
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