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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Dec 19;25(2):89–98. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2013.10.006

Figure 1. Mechanisms for the production and release of BDNF.

Figure 1

BDNF mRNA is translated into proBDNF protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. ProBDNF is transported into the Golgi and processed to the mature form of BDNF (mBDNF) by extracellular protein convertase 1 (PC1) within the vesicles. The secretory granules are trafficked to the sites of release in the axonal or dendritic terminals. Neurons secrete both proBDNF and mBDNF in an activity-dependent manner. The tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) form mBDNF by activating a plasminogen, which then cleaves the precursor molecule. Alternatively, extracellular metalloproteinases process proBDNF to generate mBDNF.