BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSIS OF BDNF-ASSOCIATED NEUROTROPHIN SIGNALING PATHWAYS IN THE CONTEXT OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop after exposure to traumatic events and severe stress. Military personnel are among the groups at risk of this disorder. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and memory formation. This study examined the functional relationships between BDNF and related proteins using bioinformatics tools. Eleven proteins were analyzed using the STRING database. The KEGG database was used to examine neurotrophin signaling pathways, while Enrichr was used for Gene Ontology analysis. The STRING network contained 11 proteins and 36 interactions, with an average node degree of 6.55 and a PPI enrichment p-value of 2.79 × 10⁻⁵⁰. The GO analysis showed significant enrichment in biological processes related to neurotrophin signaling, receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, and the regulation of neuronal apoptosis. These results describe the functions of BDNF-associated proteins and their possible relevance to PTSD. Further studies are needed to understand how these pathways are affected in patients with PTSD.