{
  "id": 12656880,
  "title": "The actin-binding protein drebrin interacts with the respiratory syncytial virus matrix protein and promotes virus particle release.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/the-actin-binding-protein-drebrin-interacts-with-the-respiratory",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756730v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) assembles and releases infectious particles at the cell's plasma membrane. The M protein of RSV interacts with drebrin, a protein that binds to actin. In both test tubes and infected cells, RSV infection moves drebrin to actin-enriched areas near viral filaments. Using an enzyme-free method to measure released infectious particles, researchers found that RSV release does not depend on the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) pathway. When drebrin levels were reduced, RSV release decreased, but when drebrin was increased, RSV release increased. Since drebrin depletion did not impact total infectious virus production, the findings suggest that drebrin plays a role in the final step of membrane scission and RSV particle release. Proteomic analysis identified Transmembrane 9 superfamily member 2 (TM9SF2) as another drebrin-associated protein that becomes significant during infection. TM9SF2 depletion reduced RSV particle release and hindered drebrin's movement to the plasma membrane. The research identifies drebrin and TM9SF2 as cellular factors controlling RSV release, supporting the idea that TM9SF2 helps bring drebrin to viral budding sites.",
  "summary": "Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an enveloped virus that assembles and buds at the plasma membrane, producing filamentous infectious particles. Unlike many other enveloped viruses, a substantial fraction of RSV virions remains associated with the surface of infected cells, limiting our understanding of the membrane-scission mechanisms responsible for particle release. Here, we identified the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}