GDNF (rat, recombinant)

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a neurotrophic factor and member of the TGF-β superfamily.¹ It is produced as a preproprotein with the signal peptide cleaved upon secretion and the protein activated after further cleavage. It is expressed in the CNS, with high levels in the caudate nucleus of the striatum, and in the PNS, including in the mesenchyme, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract.^2,3 GDNF forms homodimers and binds to its coreceptor, GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1), and, together, they bind the tyrosine kinase RET in a cis or trans configuration and activate ERK1/2 or PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, respectively.^4,1 Through these pathways, GDNF mediates cell survival and cytokine expression to promote neuronal survival and neuroprotection.⁵ GDNF is involved in dopaminergic neuron development and differentiation, enteric neuron precursor migration, kidney development, and spermatogonia differentiation.^5,1 Exogenous GDNF reduces alcohol drinking in rhesus monkeys trained to chronically drink alcohol, and serum levels of GDNF are reduced in patients dependent on alcohol.^6,7 Mutations in GDNF, alone or in combination with other gene mutations, are a cause of Hirschsprung disease, a neural crest disease characterized by distal colonic aganglionosis.⁸ Cayman's GDNF (rat, recombinant) protein can be used for cell-based assays. This protein consists of 150 amino acids and has a calculated molecular weight of 17.1 kDa. By SDS-PAGE, under reducing conditions, the apparent molecular mass of the protein is 20 kDa.

WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.

1. Airaksinen, M.S., and Saarma, M. The GDNF family: Signalling, biological functions and therapeutic value. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 3(5), 383-394 (2002).

2. Schaar, D.G., Sieber, B.A., Sherwood, A.C., et al. Multiple astrocyte transcripts encode nigral trophic factors in rat and human. Exp. Neurol. 130(2), 387-393 (1994).

3. Nosrat, C.A., Tomac, A., Lindqvist, E., et al. Cellular expression of GDNF mRNA suggests multiple functions inside and outside the nervous system. Cell Tissue Res. 286(2), 191-207 (1996).

4. Houghton, F.M., Adams, S.E., Ríos, A.S., et al. Architecture and regulation of a GDNF-GFRα1 synaptic adhesion assembly. Nat. Commun. 14(1), 7551 (2023).

5. Khan, M.N., Choudhary, D., Mehan, S., et al. Molecular mechanisms of GDNF/GFRA1/RET and PI3K/AKT/ERK signaling interplay in neuroprotection: Therapeutic strategies for treating neurological disorders. Neuropeptides 111, 102516 (2025).

6. Ford, M.M., George, B.E., Van Laar, V.S., et al. GDNF gene therapy for alcohol use disorder in male non-human primates. Nat. Med. 29(8), 2030-2040 (2023).

7. Heberlein, A., Muschler, M., Wilhelm, J., et al. BDNF and GDNF serum levels in alcohol-dependent patients during withdrawal. Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry. 34(6), 1060-1064 (2010).

8. Mueller, J.L., and Goldstein, A.M. The science of Hirschsprung disease: What we know and where we are headed. Semin. Pediatr. Surg. 31(2), 151157 (2022).