Contributes to the maintenance of intracerebral BDNF levels within the normal range, which is necessary for the preservation of spatial learning and the resistance to neuronal cell death caused by ischemic stress (By similarity). May enhance growth factor-induced ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation, including that induced by PDGF and FGF. May attenuate NGF-promoted ELK1 phosphorylation in a microtubule-dependent manner. . This is the function of Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000103034 (NDRG4, NDRG family member 4).