Multiple promoters direct tissue-specific expression of the rat BDNF gene.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) supports the survival of a specific set of neurons in the vertebrate nervous system. Here we show that the rat BDNF gene consists of four short 5' exons and one 3' exon encoding the mature BDNF protein. Eight different BDNF mRNAs with four different 5' ends and two alternative polyadenylation sites are transcribed from this gene.