Nerve growth factor (nGF) is a water-soluble signaling molecule. Would you expect the receptor for nGF to be intracellular or in the plasma membrane? Why?

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Biology

Susan Terry

4 May, 14:36

Nerve growth factor (nGF) is a water-soluble signaling molecule. Would you expect the receptor for nGF to be intracellular or in the plasma membrane? Why?

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Maci Ferguson · Answer 1

The nGF or the nerve growth factor refers to a neurotrophic factor and neuropeptide that mainly takes part in the regulation of growth, proliferation, maintenance, and survival of some of the target neurons.

As nGF is a signaling molecule, which is water-soluble, or it can be said it is hydrophilic in nature, therefore, it cannot pass via the lipid membrane and reach the intracellular receptors, as done by the steroid hormones. Thus, one cannot anticipate the receptor for the NGF to be present within the cell, it will be present in the plasma membrane.