Palladin

Palladin (PALLD) is a cytoskeletal protein of approximately 150 kDa that organizes the actin cytoskeleton and regulates cell morphology, motility, and adhesion (UniProt: Q8WX93). It functions as a scaffolding molecule promoting actin polymerization and higher-order filament assembly, localizing to sites of active cytoskeletal remodeling such as lamellipodia and membrane ruffles. Palladin also participates in dendritic cell maturation and targeting of α-actinin to specific subcellular sites.

In non-neurological contexts, palladin mutations are associated with pancreatic cancer (UniProt: Q8WX93). Its role in cytoskeletal dynamics and cell morphology suggests potential relevance to neuronal structure and function, though UniProt does not currently document neurological disease associations.

Palladin is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue relative to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics), with a mean log2 fold-change of +1.33 in post-mortem AD brain samples analyzed by quantitative proteomics across subcellular fractions. This elevation may reflect altered cytoskeletal remodeling or actin dynamics associated with AD neuropathology.