Enables poly(U) RNA binding activity and translation repressor activity. Involved in stress granule assembly. Acts upstream of or within cellular response to cold; negative regulation of cell growth; and regulation of cell cycle G1/S phase transition. Located in cytoplasmic stress granule and nucleoplasm. Is expressed in several structures, including brain and retina. Orthologous to human CIRBP (cold inducible RNA binding protein). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]