Medical Definition of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
1.
Small basic protein purified from pig brain, a member of the family of neurotrophic factors that also includes Nerve Growth Factor and neurotrophin 3.
In contrast to nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor is predominanantly (though not exclusively) localised in the CNS. It supports the survival of primary sensory neurons originating from the neural crest and ectodermal placodes that are not responsive to NGF.
In the brain brain-derived neurotrophic factor has a trophic action on retinal, cholinergic, and dopaminergic neurons, and in the peripheral nervous system it acts on both motor and sensory neurons.
Acronym: BDGF
(12 Dec 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor
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