A small peptide mimetic of brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes peripheral myelination

J Xiao; RA Hughes; JY Lim; AW Wong; JJ Ivanusic; AH Ferner; TJ Kilpatrick; SS Murray

Journal article

A small peptide mimetic of brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes peripheral myelination

J Xiao, RA Hughes, JY Lim, AW Wong, JJ Ivanusic, AH Ferner, TJ Kilpatrick, SS Murray

Journal of Neurochemistry | Published : 2013

DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12168

Abstract

The expression of the neurotrophins and their receptors is essential for peripheral nervous system development and myelination. We have previously demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exerts contrasting influences upon Schwann cell myelination in vitro - promoting myelination via neuronally expressed p75NTR, but inhibiting myelination via neuronally expressed TrkB. We have generated a small peptide called cyclo-dPAKKR that structurally mimics the region of BDNF that binds p75NTR. Here, we have investigated whether utilizing cyclo-dPAKKR to selectively target p75NTR is an approach that could exert a unified promyelinating response. Like BDNF, cyclo-dPAKKR promoted myelin..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Jason Ivanusic Author

Trevor Kilpatrick Author

Simon Murray Author

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Grants

Awarded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Awarded by Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA)

Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC fellowship #454330, project grant #628761 and program grant #569575), Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA #12070), the University of Melbourne Research Grant Support Scheme and Melbourne Research CI Fellowship. We acknowledge the Operational Infrastructure Scheme of the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development, Victoria, Australia. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding this research.