Contributions of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor to the Maturation of Cortical Inhibitory

BDNF is a nerve growth factor that helps support the survival of existing neurons, and encourages the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. In this study, we found that acute BDNF application induced a long-lasting intracellular calcium increase in GABAergic as well as nonGABAergic cells. This effect was further investigated by using specific receptor and intracellular signal transduction antagonists to determine which membrane receptors and their downstream intracellular signaling molecules are involved. This intracellular calcium increase induced by BDNF leads to resetting the transcriptome of a developing inhibitory cell. Genetic variations in BDNF genes or its regulatory components has been linked to several psycho-neurological disorders such as Rett Syndrome, schizophrenia, epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders. Successful completion of this study will help to identify potential targets for pharmacological intervention of disturbances in excitation and inhibition balancing.