Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP): functional pleiotropy in the mammalian brain

What should an MSc student do during their last week in UTM Biology? They should go out with a bang like Harrod Ling, who just published his first review! Harrod and his coauthors Lucia Mendoza-Vi (PhD candidate) and Neel Mehta (MSc candidate) (Cheng Lab), just published "Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP): functional pleiotropy in the mammalian brain" in Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis. In this review they take a comprehensive look at RKIP's neural functions by revisiting the 30-year history of RKIP research, beginning with its original discovery as an enigmatic phospholipid-binding protein in the bovine brain and leading up to present-day evidence suggesting an involvement in brain cancer.  In between, studies (including those from the Cheng lab) have implicated RKIP in the regulation of various intracellular signaling events that underlie circadian rhythms, synaptic plasticity, neuronal differentiation, stress, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. There is sure to be more surprises in the future from this multi-faceted protein, so stay tuned! Best of luck Harrod!