RKIP: Much more than Raf Kinase inhibitory protein

• Published in: Journal of cellular physiology 2013-08, Vol.228 (8), p.1688-1702
• Main Authors: Al-Mulla, Fahd, Bitar, Milad S., Taqi, Zainab, Yeung, Kam C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - genetics; Base Sequence; Brain; Cancer; Cattle; Cell Movement - genetics; Cell Proliferation; Drug Resistance - genetics; Enzyme inhibitors; Genome, Human; Humans; Intracellular signalling; MAP Kinase Signaling System - genetics; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Neurodegenerative diseases; Pancreatitis; Phosphatidylethanolamine; Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein - chemistry; Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein - genetics; Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein - physiology; Proteins; raf Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Raf protein
• ISSN: 0021-9541; 1097-4652
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24335

From its discovery as a phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding protein in bovine brain to its designation as a physiological inhibitor of Raf kinase protein, RKIP has emerged as a critical molecule for maintaining subdued, well‐orchestrated cellular responses to stimuli. The disruption of RKIP in a wide range of pathologies, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and pancreatitis, makes it an exciting target for individualized therapy and disease‐specific interventions. This review attempts to highlight recent advances in the RKIP field underscoring its potential role as a master modulator of many pivotal intracellular signaling cascades that control cellular growth, motility, apoptosis, genomic integrity, and therapeutic resistance. Specific biological and functional niches are highlighted to focus future research towards an enhanced understanding of the multiple roles of RKIP in health and disease. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1688–1702, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.