Control of cell shape and plasticity during development and disease by the actin-binding protein Drebrin

Abstract

Drebrin is an actin-binding protein, originally identified in neuronal cells, involved in the regulation of actin filament organisation, especially during the formation of neurites and cell protrusions of motile cells. Drebrin is found in diverse non-neuronal cells, primarily in association with cell processes and intercellular junctions where it again plays a key role in actin remodelling. The downregulation of Drebrin in Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome and conversely its upregulation in various carcinomas indicate that Drebrin is an important component of the pathogenesis of multiple diseases.