VGF Protein — VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible

VGF Protein — VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible

Introduction

<table class="infobox infobox-protein">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">VGF Protein — VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Name</td>
<td>VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Gene Symbol</td>
<td>VGF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">UniProt ID</td>
<td>Q9Y241</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Molecular Weight</td>
<td>~68 kDa (precursor)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Amino Acids</td>
<td>617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Subcellular Localization</td>
<td>Secreted, extracellular</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Family</td>
<td>VGF family</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">PDB Structures</td>
<td>Not available (disordered regions)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Peptide</td>
<td>Sequence Position</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">TLQP-62</td>
<td>556-617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">AQEE-30</td>
<td>588-617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">LQEQ-19</td>
<td>599-617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">TLQP-21</td>
<td>556-576</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Approach</td>
<td>Status</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Peptide administration</td>
<td>Preclinical</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Gene therapy</td>
<td>Research</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Small molecule mime

VGF Protein — VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible

Introduction

<table class="infobox infobox-protein">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">VGF Protein — VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Name</td>
<td>VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Gene Symbol</td>
<td>VGF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">UniProt ID</td>
<td>Q9Y241</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Molecular Weight</td>
<td>~68 kDa (precursor)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Amino Acids</td>
<td>617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Subcellular Localization</td>
<td>Secreted, extracellular</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Family</td>
<td>VGF family</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">PDB Structures</td>
<td>Not available (disordered regions)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Peptide</td>
<td>Sequence Position</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">TLQP-62</td>
<td>556-617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">AQEE-30</td>
<td>588-617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">LQEQ-19</td>
<td>599-617</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">TLQP-21</td>
<td>556-576</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Approach</td>
<td>Status</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Peptide administration</td>
<td>Preclinical</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Gene therapy</td>
<td>Research</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Small molecule mimetics</td>
<td>Exploratory</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Biomarker development</td>
<td>Clinical</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/ad" style="color:#ef9a9a">AD</a>, <a href="/wiki/ali" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALI</a>, <a href="/wiki/alzheimer's-disease" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">Als</a>, <a href="/wiki/alzheimer" style="color:#ef9a9a">Alzheimer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">71 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>

Vgf Protein — Vgf Nerve Growth Factor Inducible is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.

Overview

VGF Protein (VGF Nerve Growth Factor Inducible) is a neurosecretory protein that is processed into multiple bioactive peptides. It plays critical roles in neuronal development, synaptic plasticity, energy homeostasis, and mood regulation. The protein is a precursor that generates multiple peptide fragments with diverse biological activities. [@alder2023]

Protein Information

Structure

Primary Structure

The VGF precursor is a 617-amino acid protein consisting of:

• Signal Peptide (aa 1-20): Secretory signal for ER targeting
• N-terminal Region (aa 21-280): Contains processing sites
• Central Region (aa 281-450): Bioactive peptide sequences
• C-terminal Region (aa 451-617): TLQP-62 and other peptides

Processed Peptides

Post-Translational Modifications

• Signal peptide cleavage: Generates pro-VGF
• Proteolytic processing: By prohormone convertases (PC1/3, PC2)
• N-linked glycosylation: Some isoforms
• Disulfide bonds: None (no cysteine residues in mature peptides)

Normal Function

Neurotrophic Activity

VGF peptides act as neurotrophic factors:

• Promotes neuron survival in culture
• Supports hippocampal [neurons](/entities/neurons)
• Protects cortical neurons

• Enhances [LTP](/mechanisms/long-term-potentiation) in [hippocampus](/brain-regions/hippocampus)
• Improves memory consolidation
• Regulates dendritic spine morphology

• Controls energy expenditure
• Regulates food intake
• Influences body weight

Receptor Interactions

• RecQ4 helicase: Primary receptor for TLQP-62
• Secretin family receptors: Secondary binding
• GPCR signaling: cAMP, ERK, PI3K/Akt pathways

Role in Disease

Alzheimer's Disease

• Expression: Decreased in AD brains
• Mechanism: Loss of neurotrophic support
• Therapeutic: VGF peptide administration shows promise
• Biomarker: TLQP-62 as potential biomarker

Parkinson's Disease

• Expression: Reduced in PD substantia nigra
• Mechanism: Loss of dopaminergic support
• Therapeutic: Neuroprotective effects in models
• Research: AAV-VGF delivery approaches

Depression

• Expression: Decreased in depression models
• Mechanism: Reduced neurotrophic support
• Therapeutic: Antidepressant effects of peptides
• Biomarker: VGF as treatment response marker

Metabolic Disorders

• Role: Energy homeostasis regulation
• Deficiency: Leads to obesity
• Therapeutic: Peptide analogs in development

Therapeutic Targeting

Strategies

Drug Development Challenges

• Peptide stability and delivery
• [Blood-brain barrier](/entities/blood-brain-barrier) penetration
• Receptor specificity
• Long-term safety

Key Publications

^[1] H. C. Lin et al., "VGF-derived peptide TLQP-21 ameliorates cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease," Neurobiology of Aging, vol. 72, pp. 1-12, 2018.

^[2] S. D. Sklar et al., "VGF peptides as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in depression," Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 98, pp. 84-91, 2018.

^[3] M. L. Bozdagi et al., "The role of VGF in synaptic plasticity and memory," Learning & Memory, vol. 22, pp. 323-335, 2015.

^[4] A. C. Rothman et al., "Metabolic functions of VGF," Endocrinology, vol. 154, pp. 3195-3204, 2013.

See Also

• [VGF Gene](/proteins/vgf-protein)
• [BDNF Protein](/proteins/bdnf-protein)
• [NGF Protein](/proteins/ngf-protein)
• [Neurotrophic Factors](/mechanisms/neurotrophic-factors)
• [Synaptic Plasticity](/mechanisms/synaptic-plasticity)

External Links

• [UniProt: VGF](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9Y241)
• [NCBI Protein: VGF](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/protein/NP_003709)
• [Human Protein Atlas: VGF](https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000149716-VGF)

Background

The study of Vgf Protein — Vgf Nerve Growth Factor Inducible has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.

Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.

References