BDNF stimulates migration of cerebellar granule cells.

During development of the nervous system, neural progenitors arise in proliferative zones, then exit the cell cycle and migrate away from these zones. Here we show that migration of cerebellar granule cells out of their proliferative zone, the external granule cell layer (EGL), is impaired in Bdnf(-/-) mice. The reason for impaired migration is that BDNF directly and acutely stimulates granule cell migration.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor modulates cerebellar plasticity and synaptic ultrastructure.

Neurotrophins are key regulators of neuronal survival and function. Here we show that TrkB, the receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), is located at parallel fiber to Purkinje cell (PF/PC) synapses of the cerebellum. To determine the effects of TrkB receptor activation on synapse formation and function, we examined the parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses of mice with a targeted deletion of the BDNF gene.