A

Activin was initially isolated from gonads on the basis of its ability to stimulate the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) by the anterior pituitary gland. Structural analysis showed that activin is composed of the β subunit of inhibin, and that its amino acid sequence is related to that of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). More recently, activin has been rediscovered using biological assays for the induction of erythroid differentiation, embryonic differentiation, and nerve cell survival. The extensive anatomical distribution and diverse biological roles of activin suggest that it is a multifunctional growth factor that, in addition to its other activities, may play several roles within the nervous system.KeywordsDown SyndromeAmyloid Precursor ProteinSenile PlaqueImplicit MemoryPaired Helical FilamentThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.