RCK, also known as DDX6 and P54, is a member of the DEAD-box RNA helicase family of proteins, all of which share common protein motifs. Found in most tissues, RCK is an unwindase that exhibits ATP-dependent RNA un-winding activity, as well as the ability to decay RNA in the 5'-3' direction. In non-malignant cells, RCK is associated with all processes of normal RNA metabolism including splicing, export and translation initiation. Mutations in the gene encoding RCK can cause the protein to be overexpressed, changing its function to that of an oncogene that positively regulates the expression of genes involved in cell growth and proliferation. It is believed that, through its unwindase activity, the main function of RCK is to downregulate mRNA expression and maintain normal transcriptional levels within the cell.
