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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neuropharmacology. 2013 May 7;76(0 0):10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.054. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.054

Fig. 3. Intracellular mechanisms of BDNF action on neuronal morphology.

Fig. 3

BDNF and its precursor signal locally (curved arrows) as well as over long distances (straight arrows) to modify neuronal morphology. (A) BDNF-TrkB elicit a retrograde Erk1/2 signal (1) to initiate immediate early gene expression (2). Continuing BDNF-TrkB signalling stabilises one of the immediate early genes, MKP-1, through phosphorylation and thus locally inhibits Jnk signalling (3), leading to collateral branch formation. (B) In absence of TrkB, BDNF signals through p75NTR to (1) dampen TrkA signaling, (2) activate the RhoA/ROCK pathway and (3) activate caspase-6 to initiate axonal degeneration. (C) ProBDNF signals through p75NTR to (1) activate the RhoA-ROCK pathway or inactivate (2) Rac and (3) fascin to initiate growth cone collapse.