Cleavage of proBDNF by tPA/plasmin is essential for long-term hippocampal plasticity - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2004 Oct 15;306(5695):487-91.

doi: 10.1126/science.1100135.

Affiliations

Free article

Cleavage of proBDNF by tPA/plasmin is essential for long-term hippocampal plasticity

Petti T Pang et al. Science. 2004.

Free article

Abstract

Long-term memory is thought to be mediated by protein synthesis-dependent, late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP). Two secretory proteins, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been implicated in this process, but their relationship is unclear. Here we report that tPA, by activating the extracellular protease plasmin, converts the precursor proBDNF to the mature BDNF (mBDNF), and that such conversion is critical for L-LTP expression in mouse hippocampus. Moreover, application of mBDNF is sufficient to rescue L-LTP when protein synthesis is inhibited, which suggests that mBDNF is a key protein synthesis product for L-LTP expression.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources