Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E Binding Protein 2 (EIF4EBP2)

EIF4EBP2 encodes a member of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein family. However, insulin and other growth factors can release this inhibition via a phosphorylation-dependent disruption of their binding to eIF4E. Regulation of protein production through these gene products have been implicated in cell proliferation, cell differentiation and viral infection.Mice with both 4Ebp1 and 4Ebp2 genes knocked out are resistant to vesicular stomatitis virus infection, and this correlates with an enhanced type I interferon production in plasmacytoid dendritic cells and the expression of interferon-regulated genes in the lungs. The enhanced type I interferon response of 4Ebp1 -/- 4Ebp2 -/- double knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts is caused by upregulation of interferon regulatory factor-7 (Irf7) mRNA translation.