Neudesin Neurotrophic Factor (NENF)

Neudesin was expressed in early development in mouse embryonic cerebral cortex in neural precursor cells. Studies in culture showed that neudesin promoted neuronal differentiation and inhibited differentiation of astrocytes.neudesin has a predicted cytochrome b5-like heme/steroid-binding domain, and determined that Fe(III)-protoporphyrin IX is required for its neurotrophic activity. An anti-neudesin antibody detected a 15.6-kD band in media from cultured Neuro2a cells and was used in experiments to confirm that the protein binds heme. In mice, in situ hybridization showed abundant expression of neudesin in developing brain and spinal cord, and RT-PCR of postnatal tissues demonstrated expression in brain, heart, lung, and kidney. The protein was expressed in neurons but not in glial cells.