Drebrin 1 (DBN1)

Drebrin 1 is a cytoplasmic actin-binding protein thought to play a role in the process of neuronal growth. It is a member of the drebrin family of proteins that are developmentally regulated in the brain. A decrease in the amount of this protein in the brain has been implicated as a possible contributing factor in the pathogenesis of memory disturbance in Alzheimer's disease. At least two alternative splice variants encoding different protein isoforms have been described for this gene.

The deduced 649-amino acid protein shows 88% homology with rat drebrin A, except for an internal 138-nucleotide sequence. There are 3 drebrin isoforms: 2 embryonic types, E1 and E2, and an adult type, A, that are generated by alternative RNA splicing from a single drebrin gene in the chicken brain.