TrkB

protein
Name = neurotrophic tyrosine kinase, receptor, type 2
caption =


width =
HGNCid = 8032
Symbol = NTRK2
AltSymbols =
EntrezGene = 4915
OMIM = 600456
RefSeq = NM_001007097
UniProt = Q16620
PDB =
ECnumber = 2.7.1.112
Chromosome = 9
Arm = q
Band = 22.1
LocusSupplementaryData =

Function

TrkB is the high affinity catalytic receptor for several "neurotrophins", which are small protein growth factors that induce the survival and differentiation of distinct cell populations. The neurotrophins that activate TrkB are: Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, or "BDNF", NT-4 (neurotrophin-4), and NT-3 (neurotrophin-3). As such, TrkB mediates the multiple effects of these neurotrophic factors, which includes neuronal differentiation and survival.

The TrkB receptor is part of the large family of receptor tyrosine kinases. A "tyrosine kinase" is an enzyme which is capable of adding a phosphate group to certain tyrosines on target proteins, or "substrates". A receptor tyrosine kinase is a "tyrosine kinase" which is located at the cellular membrane, and is activated by binding of a ligand to the receptor's extracellular domain. Other examples of tyrosine kinase receptors include the insulin receptor, the IGF1 receptor, the MuSK protein receptor, the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (or VEGF) receptor, etc.

Currently, there are three TrkB isoforms in the mammalian CNS. The full-length isoform (TK+) is a typical tyrosine kinase receptor, and transduces the BDNF signal via Ras-ERK, PI3K, and PLCγ. In contrast, two truncated isoforms (TK-: T1 and T2) possess the same extracellular domain, transmembrane domain, and first 12 intracellular amino acid sequences as TK+. However, the C-terminal sequences are the isoform-specific (11 and 9 amino acids, respectively). T1 has the original signaling cascade that is involved in the regulation of cell morphology and calcium influx.

Family Members

TrkB is part of a sub-family of protein kinases which includes TrkA and TrkC. Also, there are other neurotrophic factors structurally related to BDNF: NGF (for Nerve Growth Factor), NT-3 (for Neurotrophin-3) and NT-4 (for Neurotrophin-4). While TrkB mediates the effects of BDNF, NT-4 and NT-3, TrkA is bound and thereby activated only by NGF. Further, TrkC binds and is activated by NT-3.

TrkB binds BDNF and NT-4 more strongly than it binds NT-3. TrkC binds NT-3 more strongly than TrkB does.

The LNGFR

There is one other BDNF receptor besides TrkB, called the "LNGFR" (for "low affinity nerve growth factor receptor"). As opposed to TrkB, the LNGFR plays a somewhat less clear role in BDNF biology. Some researchers have shown the LNGFR binds and serves as a "sink" for neurotrophins. Cells which express both the LNGFR and the Trk receptors might therefore have a greater activity - since they have a higher "microconcentration" of the neurotrophin. It has also been shown, however, that the LNGFR may signal a cell to die via apoptosis - so therefore cells expressing the LNGFR in the absence of Trk receptors may die rather than live in the presence of a neurotrophin.

References

* Cite journal
pmid = 2160854
author = R. Klein et al.
year = 1990
title = The trkB tyrosine protein kinase gene codes for a second neurogenic receptor that lacks the catalytic kinase domain
journal = Cell
volume = 61
pages = 647–656
doi = 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90476-U
* Cite journal
pmid = 1710174
author = S. P. Squinto et al.
year = 1991
title = trkB encodes a functional receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 but not nerve growth factor
journal = Cell
volume = 65
pages = 885–893
doi = 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90395-F
* Cite journal
pmid = 14603320
author = C. R. Rose et al.
year = 2003
title = Truncated TrkB-T1 mediates neurotrophin-evoked calcium signalling in glia cells
journal = Nature
volume = 426
pages = 74–78
doi = 10.1038/nature01983
* Cite journal
pmid = 15703388
author = K. Ohira et al.
year = 2005
title = A truncated tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor, T1, regulates glial cell morphology via Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor 1
journal = Journal of Neuroscience
volume = 25
pages = 1343–1353
doi = 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4436-04.2005

External links

* [http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/brain/mg19325864.500-memories-are-made-of-this-molecule.html Memories are made of this molecule] - New Scientist, 15 January 2007.