Kalirin/A0214

Kalirin (kalirin, RhoGEF kinase, also known as A0214) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates specific members of the Rho GTPase family.

Kalirin (kalirin, RhoGEF kinase, also known as A0214) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates specific members of the Rho GTPase family. It is known to regulate actin cytoskeletal dynamics, exocytosis, and endocytosis. The Kalirin gene contains 60 exons and is widely expressed in the brain. The dominant splice isoform in the hippocampus, Kalirin-7, contains a PDZ binding domain in its C-terminus. Kalirin-7 interacts with PSD93, PSD95, and SAP102 and co-localizes in dendritic spines with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) subunits. Activity of Kalirin-7 leads to enlargement of dendritic spines. Kalirin-7 itself is phosphorylated by CaMKII in an NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent fashion. Kalirin-7 activity has been shown to be necessary for NMDAR activation-dependent enhancement of AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission in neuronal cultures. A significant association has been reported between an intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Kalirin gene and susceptibility to early-onset coronary artery disease.