Neurotrophins are small dimeric proteins encoded by 4 genes in mouse and human. They signal either through ligand-specific tyrosine kinase receptors or the pan-neurotrophin receptor p75, a member of the tumour necrosis receptor family. As no gene closely related to neurotrophins have been identified in short-lived species typically used by geneticists, progress has been slow in elucidating neurotrophin signalling.
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