Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E family explained

Symbol:	IF4E
IF4E
Pfam:	PF01652
Interpro:	IPR001040
Prosite:	PDOC00641
Scop:	1ap8

In molecular biology, the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E family (eIF-4E) is a family of proteins that bind to the cap structure of eukaryotic cellular mRNAs.^[1] Members of this family recognise and bind the 7-methyl-guanosine-containing (m7Gppp) cap during an early step in the initiation of protein synthesis and facilitate ribosome binding to an mRNA by inducing the unwinding of its secondary structures. A tryptophan in the central part of the sequence of human eIF-4E seems to be implicated in cap-binding.^[2]

Members of this family include EIF4E, EIF4E2, EIF4E3 and EIF4E1B.

Notes and References

1. Thach RE . Cap recap: the involvement of eIF-4F in regulating gene expression . Cell . 68 . 2 . 177–180 . January 1992 . 1733496 . 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90461-K. 46020706 .
2. Ueda H, Iyo H, Doi M, Inoue M, Ishida T, Morioka H, Tanaka T, Nishikawa S, Uesugi S . Combination of Trp and Glu residues for recognition of mRNA cap structure. Analysis of m7G base recognition site of human cap binding protein (IF-4E) by site-directed mutagenesis . FEBS Lett. . 280 . 2 . 207–10 . March 1991 . 1672854 . 10.1016/0014-5793(91)80294-D. 11779841 . free .