NGF is the first member discovered in the Neurotrophin family, which includes brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4). These proteins belong to the cysteine-knot family of growth factors that assume stable dimeric structures. Mouse beta -NGF is a homodimer of two 120 amino acid polypeptides. It shares approximately 90% homology at the amino acid level with human beta -NGF and 95.8% with rat beta -NGF. NGF signaling has been shown to play an important role in neuroprotection and repair. β-NGF acts as a growth and differentiation factor for B lymphocytes, and enhances B-cell survival. It is a potent neurotrophic factor that signals through its receptor β-NGFR, and plays a crucial role in the development and preservation of the sensory and sympathetic nervous systems.
