Kalirin (KALRN)

Kalirin is a member of Dbl family of proteins and 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. Several isoforms of Kalirin are produced through 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 schizophrenia, as demonstrated by adolescent development of schizophrenia-like symptoms in kalirin knockout mice.