Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding human drebrin E and chromosomal mapping of its gene

Drebrins are novel actin-binding proteins in the brain which are developmentally regulated. Three isoforms: two embryonic types (E1 and E2) and an adult type (A) are generated by alternative RNA splicing from a single debrin gene in the chicken brain. A full length cDNA clone of human drebrin E has been isolated from a cDNA library of human fetus brain. The clone is 2596 base pairs in length and contains an open reading frame of 1947 nucleotides encoding a protein of 649 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence, except for the internal 138-nucleotide sequence (ins2), exhibits 88% homology with rat drebrin A. Spot blot hybridization using flow-sorted human chromosomes provides evidence that the gene encoding human drebrin protein locates on human chromosome 5.