Neurobiology of local and intercellular BDNF signaling

• Published in: Pflügers Archiv Vol. 469; no. 5-6; pp. 593 - 610
• Main Authors: Sasi, Manju, Vignoli, Beatrice, Canossa, Marco, Blum, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-06-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Anxiety Disorders - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - genetics; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism; Cell Biology; Human Physiology; Humans; Invited Review; Learning; Long-Term Potentiation; Memory; Molecular Medicine; Neurosciences; Neurotrophic factors; Receptor, trkB - metabolism; Receptors; Synapses - metabolism; Synapses - physiology; Synaptic Transmission; Therapeutic applications; Signaling; TrkB; BDNF; Anxiety disorders; Long-term potentiation; Synaptic plasticity; Synaptic localization
• ISSN: 0031-6768; 1432-2013
• DOI: 10.1007/s00424-017-1964-4

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family of secreted proteins. Signaling cascades induced by BDNF and its receptor, the receptor tyrosine kinase TrkB, link neuronal growth and differentiation with synaptic plasticity. For this reason, interference with BDNF signaling has emerged as a promising strategy for potential treatments in psychiatric and neurological disorders. In many brain circuits, synaptically released BDNF is essential for structural and functional long-term potentiation, two prototypical cellular models of learning and memory formation. Recent studies have revealed an unexpected complexity in the synaptic communication of mature BDNF and its precursor proBDNF, not only between local pre- and postsynaptic neuronal targets but also with participation of glial cells. Here, we consider recent findings on local actions of the BDNF family of ligands at the synapse and discuss converging lines of evidence which emerge from per se conflicting results.