UNIPROT #

P39905

PROTEIN NAME

GDNF

SYNONYMS

Astrocyte derived trophic factor antibody; Astrocyte derived trophic factor 1 antibody; Astrocyte-derived trophic factor antibody; ATF 1 antibody; ATF 2 antibody; Atf antibody; ATF1 antibody; ATF2 antibody; gdnf antibody; GDNF_HUMAN antibody; Glial cell derived neurotrophic factor antibody; Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor antibody; Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor antibody; Glial derived neurotrophic factor antibody; HFB1 GDNF antibody; hGDNF antibody; HSCR3 antibody

SEQUENCE SIMILARITIES

Belongs to the TGF-beta family. GDNF subfamily.

TISSUE SPECIFICITY

In the brain, predominantly expressed in the striatum with highest levels in the caudate and lowest in the putamen. Isoform 2 is absent from most tissues except for low levels in intestine and kidney. Highest expression of isoform 3 is found in pancreatic islets. Isoform 5 is expressed at very low levels in putamen, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus and intestine. Isoform 3 is up-regulated in the middle temporal gyrus of Alzheimer disease patients while isoform 2 shows no change.

SUBCELLULAR LOCATION

Secreted.

FUNCTION

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been identified as a potent neurotrophic factor that enhances survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. GDNF is a glycosylated, disulfide-bonded homodimer and is a distantly related member of the TGFβ superfamily of growth regulatory ligands. GDNF contains the seven conserved cysteine residues in the same relative spacing characteristic of all members of the TGFβ superfamily. In embryonic midbrain cultures, GDNF promotes the survival and morphological differentiation of dopaminergic neurons and increases their high-affinity dopamine uptake. On the basis of these findings, it has been suggested that GDNF may have utility in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, which is marked by progressive degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.