Dysbindin

About DBNDD / Dysbindin:

Dysbindin (short for Dystrobrevin-binding protein 1) and more commonly referred to as DBNDD, is a relatively recently discovered protein that is a constituent of dystrophin (a cytoplasmic protein). It is found in the neural tissue of the brain as well as in skeletal muscle cells. It is located in synaptic sites throughout the human brain, especially in the cerebellum and hippocampus.

Dysbindin and Schizophrenia
There is a large amount of interest in this protein in recent years owing to studies showing its close association with schizophrenia (a major psychiatric disorder). However, only a particular dysbindin allele (a variant form of a gene) is linked to schizophrenia, implying that there are different genetic subtypes of schizophrenia. Further research also shows that it is likely that there are several different mutations within the dysbindin gene that are responsible for schizophrenia.
Altered dysbindin-1 expression may also contribute to cognitive impairments prominent in schizophrenia, such as deficits in attention and memory loss.

DBNDD Function
DBNDD is also a component of the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DPC) in skeletal muscle cells. It is believed that DBNDD, which links the cell cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix, contributes to the stability of muscle fibers and, therefore, the loss of DBNDD is probably a cause for muscular dystrophy

Dysbindin Interactions
PPIs or Protein–protein interactions are physical contacts of a significant amount between two or more protein molecules. These interactions define the way our bodies work and are sometimes also related to certain diseases such as Alzheimers.
Dysbindin has been shown to interact with the following:
- SNAPAP
- MUTED
- PLDN