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.
Nerve growth factor receptors (NGFRs) belong to a large growth factor receptor family. NGFR includes two types of receptors: high-affinity nerve growth factor receptor and low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor. High-affinity nerve growth factor receptor is also referred as Trk familywhose members are bound by some neurotrophins with high affinity. Nerve growth factor binds with TrkA after being released from target cells, the NGF / TrkA complex is subsequently trafficked back to the cell body. The Low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor also named p75 which binds with all kinds of neurotrophins with low affinity. All the four kinds of neurotrophins, including Nerve growth factor, Brain derived neurotrophic factor, Neurotrophin-3, and Neurotrophin-4 bind to the p75. Studies have proved that NGFR acts as a molecular signal swith that determines cell death or survival by three steps. First, pro-nerve growth factor (prNGF) triggers cell apoptosis by its high affinity binding to p75NTR, while NGF induces neuronal survival with low-affinity binding. Second, p75NTR mediates cell death by combining with co-receptor sortilin, whereas it promotes neuronal survival through combination with proNGF. Third, release of the intracellular domain chopper or cleavage short p75 NTR can independently initiate neuronal apoptosis.
Nogo Receptor (NgR) is a glycosylphosphoinositol (GPI)-anchored protein that belongs to the Nogo recptor family. Human NgR is predominantly expressed in neurons and their axons in the central nervous systems. As a receptor for myelin-derived proteins Nogo, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (OMG), NgR mediates axonal growth inhibition and may play a role in regulating axonal regeneration and plasticity in the adult central nervous system. NgR may be proposed as a potential drug target for treatment of various neurological conditions. Additionally, NgR may play a role in regulating the function of gap junctions.
Nicastrin (NCST, or NCT), a single-pass membrane glycoprotein that harbors a large extracellular domain, is an essential component of the gamma-secretase complex. Several lines of evidence indicate that the members of these complexes could also contribute to the control of cell death. NCT controls cell death via phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and p53-dependent pathways and that this function remains independent of the activity and molecular integrity of the gamma-secretase complexes. Increasing evidences have shown that Nicastrin/NCSTN plays a crucial role in gamma-cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The glycoprotein Nicastrin is an essential component of the gamma-secretase complex, a high molecular weight complex which also contains the presenilin proteins, Aph-1 and Pen-2. The gamma-secretase complex is not only involved in APP processing but also in the processing of an increasing number of other type I integral membrane proteins. As the largest subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, Nicastrin plays a crucial role in its activation. Inhibition of NCSTN demonstrated an altered gamma-cleavage activity, suggesting its potential implication in developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, Nicastrin can function to maintain epithelial to mesenchymal transition during breast cancer progression. Anti-nicastrin polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were able to decrease notch1 and vimentin expression and reduced the invasive capacity of breast cancer cells in vitro.
Mouse ULBP1, also known as RAET1I and NKG2DL1, is a member of the ULBP/RAET1 gene family. ULBP1 plays an important role in immune responses, especially in cancer and infectious diseases, and is well-known to bind to NKG2D together with at least ULBP 2 and 3. These proteins are distantly related to major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) molecules, possessing the alpha 1 and alpha 2 Ig-like domains, but lacking the alpha 3 domain. Unlike MHC Class I, they have no capacity to bind peptide or interact with beta2-microglobulin. It can activate multiple signaling pathways in primary NK cells, gamma delta T cells, and CD8+ alpha beta T cells, resulting in the production of cytokines and chemokines.ULBP1 is expressed in wide range of tissues including heart, brain, lung, liver, bone marrow and some tumor cells, T-cells, B-cells, As an unconventional member of the MHC class I family, ULBP1 is able to interact with soluble CMV glycoprotein UL16 in CMV infected cells. The interaction with UL16 blocked the interaction with the NKG2D receptor, and thus might escape the immune surveillance. Furthermore, UL16 also causes ULBP1 to be retained in the ER and cis-Golgi apparatus so that it does not reach the cell surface. The ULBP1 regulation may have implications for development of new therapeutic strategies against cancer cells.
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