Biochemistry of Drebrin and Its Binding to Actin Filaments

Drebrin is an actin-binding protein mainly expressed in developing neurons and dendritic spine in mature neurons. To understand the functions of drebrin in vivo, we must understand its molecular properties. In this chapter, I will focus on the purification and characterization of drebrin in vitro. Drebrin binds to F-actin with a stoichiometry of 1:5~6 with a K _d of 1~3 × 10^-7 M and strongly inhibits the binding of other actin-binding proteins such as tropomyosin, caldesmon, fascin, α-actinin, and cofilin. It also inhibits the activities of myosin-II and myosin-V. These results are discussed in terms of the possible roles of drebrin in the stability, dynamics, and organizations of actin structures in neuronal cells.