Kalirin has been implicated in many functions. Kalirin is one of a small number of RhoGEFs localized to the postsynaptic density (PSD) [16]. In the adult brain, Kalirin 7 (Kal7) is the predominant isoform and is almost exclusively localized to the PSD [17,18]. Overexpression of Kal7 leads to increases in dendritic spine number in cultured hippocampal and cortical pyramidal neurons [19-21]. Conversely, a specific reduction of Kal7 in primary neurons causes a dramatic decrease in spine density [13,21]. Studies on Kalirin have focused on cortex and hippocampus, where Kal7 has a clear role in spine formation and maintenance.
