Actin-binding protein, drebrin, accumulates in submembranous regions in parallel with neuronal differentiation
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Updated: Nov 10, 2026

Easy and Reproducible Low-Density Primary Culture using Frozen Stock of Embryonic Hippocampal Neurons
Published on: January 27, 2023
1Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
Drebrins are developmentally regulated actin-binding proteins. In this study, we analyzed subcellular distribution of drebrin E in neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) in culture, especially in terms of its relationship to actin filaments. In undifferentiated cells, drebrin E was scattered as flocculus small dots along the stress fibers and also accumulated at adhesion plaques. In parallel with the neuronal differentiation following retinoic acid treatment, drebrin E was accumulated, accompanying filamentous (F) actin, in the submembranous cortical cytoplasm. Similar submembranous localization of drebrins was observed in primary cultured neurons. In the presence of drebrin E F-actin was more stable against cytochalasin D than F-actin lacking drebrin E. These results suggest that drebrin E plays a role in neuronal morphological differentiation by changing its subcellular localization with stabilized F-actin.
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