Description
Relevance: Human beta-Nerve Growth Factor (beta-NGF) was initially isolated in the mouse submandibular gland. It is composed of three non-covalently linked subunits alpha, beta, and gamma; it exhibits all the biological activities ascribed to NGF. It is structurally related to BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4 and belongs to the cysteine-knot family of growth factors that assume stable dimeric structures. beta-NGF is a neurotrophic factor that signals through its receptor beta-NGF, and plays a crucial role in the development and preservation of the sensory and sympathetic nervous systems. beta-NGF also acts as a growth and differentiation factor for B lymphocytes and enhances B-cell survival. These results suggest that beta-NGF is a pleiotropic cytokine, which in addition to its neurotropic activities may have an important role in the regulation of the immune system. Human beta-NGF shares 90% sequence similarity with mouse protein and shows cross-species reactivity.
Function: Nerve growth factor is important for the development and maintenance of the sympathetic and sensory nervous systems. Extracellular ligand for the NTRK1 and NGFR receptors, activates cellular signaling cascades through those receptor tyrosine kinase to regulate neuronal proliferation, differentiation and survival. Inhibits metalloproteinase dependent proteolysis of platelet glycoprotein VI