During development, promotes the survival anddifferentiation of selected neuronal populations of the peripheraland central nervous systems. Participates in axonal growth,pathfinding and in the modulation of dendritic growth andmorphology. Major regulator of synaptic transmission andplasticity at adult synapses in many regions of the CNS.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, also known as BDNF, is a secreted protein that, in humans, is encoded by the BDNF gene. BDNF is a member of the neurotrophin family of growth factors, which are related to the canonical nerve growth factor. It is mapped to 11p14.1. BDNF is a prosurvival factor induced by cortical neurons that is necessary for survival of striatal neurons in the brain. It is expressed within peripheral ganglia and is not restricted to neuronal target fields. BDNF has been purified and shown to reduce the amount of naturally occurring neuronal cell death in portions of the peripheral nervous system.
[list_product_images]Western blot analysis of BDNF expression in recombinant human BDNF raised in E.coli. Recombinant truncated protein (lane 1). BDNF at 27KD was detected using rabbit anti- BDNF IgG fraction polyclonal antibody (Catalog # A00035). The blot was developed using chemiluminescence (ECL) method (Catalog # EK1002).[/list_product_images]