Dynamic regulation of bHLH-PAS-type transcription factor NXF gene expression and neurotrophin dependent induction of the transcriptional control activity

While neurotrophin is known to be involved in a variety of neuronal functions inducing several immediate early genes and activating several signaling molecules, the correspondence with downstream cascades remains to be defined in detail. Here we show that a bHLH-PAS transcription factor, NXF, is a new member genes under the control of neurotrophin. The PI3K-Akt system, an important cell-protection-signaling cascade under the control of the neurotrophin receptor, was also revealed to contribute to the mechanism of NXF mRNA induction. Activation of MAPK under the control of the neurotrophin receptor resulted in NXF protein phosphorylation as well as enhancement of NXF transcriptional activity. This newly identified NXF gene system may provide a new insight into neurotrophin biology, which reflects the target gene functions.