Kalirin

Kalirin, also known as Huntingtin-associated protein-interacting protein (HAPIP), protein duo (DUO), or serine/threonine-protein kinase with Dbl- and pleckstrin homology domain, is a is_associated_with::protein that in humans is encoded by the KALRN is_associated_with::gene. Kalirin was first identified in 1997 as a protein interacting with is_associated_with::huntingtin-associated protein 1. Is also known to play an important role in nerve growth and axonal development.

Kalirin is a member of the Dbl family of proteins and is a Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor. It is named after the multiple-handed Hindu goddess Kali for its ability to interact with numerous other proteins. Kalirin's other name, DUO, comes from the fact that it is 98% identical to rat DUO protein and 80.6% identical to a human protein named TRIO. Unlike TRIO, which is expressed in numerous tissues, Kalirin isoforms are mainly found in the brain.

Clinical significance
Several is_associated_with::isoforms of Kalirin are produced through is_associated_with::alternative splicing. One of the isoforms, Kalirin-7, was found to be necessary for the remodeling of synapses in mature cortical neurons and is thought to be important in the development of is_associated_with::schizophrenia,   as demonstrated by adolescent development of schizophrenia-like symptoms in kalirin knockout mice. is_associated_with::Alzheimer's disease may also be linked to kalirin-7.