Members of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family, including GDNF and neurturin (NTN) play essential roles in the control of vertebrate neuron survival and differentiation. A new member of the GDNF family was recently identified and designated persephin. Physiological responses to these neurotrophic factors require two receptor subunits, the novel glycosylphosphadidylinositol linked protein GFRα and Ret receptor tyrosine kinase GFRbeta. Following the findings of GFRα-1 and -2, a novel receptor in GFRα family was identified very recently from human and mouse and designated GFRα-3. GFRα-3 binds persephin, thus, persephin, GFRα-3, and Ret PTK form a complex to transduce persephin signal and to mediate persephin function.
