The organization and biologically significant sequences of the entire mouse nerve growth factor (NGF) gene have been determined. The gene spans 45 kilobases and contains several small 5' exons. Transcription of the gene results in four different mRNA species, which can be accounted for by alternative splicing and independent initiation from two promoters. These transcripts encode proteins which have divergent N termini and the NGF moiety at their C termini. The levels of the various NGF transcripts have been determined in different tissues and throughout postnatal development. We have also examined the expression of these transcripts in the brain in response to specific early sensory deprivation. The results suggest that the expression of NGF mRNA during postnatal development is regulated independently of the formation of complex neural networks.