Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/umls/id/C1518295
NCI: Axons extend significant distances to innervate target tissues. At the site of innervation, target tissues release neurotrophins including NGF, BDNF and neurotrophin-3 that stimulate the survival of the associated neuron. Local signaling by activated Trk receptors at the synaptic terminus mediates some presynaptic neuronal responses to neurotrophins. Map kinase pathways activated by Trk receptor activate Erk1 and Erk2 at the terminus stimulating axonal growth, and PI3K activates AKT in the terminus as well. Activation of these kinases does not propagate a signal to the cell body though and does not induce a transcriptional response. This local signaling at the terminus or local signaling at the cell body appears distinct from the signaling pathway that transduces the survival signal from the target tissue. Retrograde axonal transport plays an essential role in neuronal survival induced by neurotrophins released at the target tissue. Failure of retrograde neurotrophin signaling may play a role in neurodeg