EIF3A
Description
The EIF3A (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit A) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 10.
EIF3A is a protein encoded by the EIF3A gene in humans. It is a subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3) complex, which plays a crucial role in translation initiation in eukaryotic cells.
EIF3A is a RNA-binding protein that is part of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF-3) complex. This complex is essential for several steps in protein synthesis initiation, including:
- Ribosome association: eIF-3 binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit, facilitating the assembly of other initiation factors (eIF-1, eIF-1A, eIF-2:GTP:methionyl-tRNAi, and eIF-5) to form the 43S pre-initiation complex (43S PIC).
- mRNA recruitment: eIF-3 helps bring mRNA to the 43S PIC, allowing the ribosome to start scanning the mRNA for the AUG start codon.
- Start codon recognition: eIF-3 participates in the recognition of the AUG start codon, initiating translation.
- Ribosomal recycling: eIF-3 is involved in the disassembly and recycling of ribosomal complexes after translation termination, preventing premature joining of the 40S and 60S subunits before the next round of initiation.
- mRNA-specific translation: eIF-3 specifically targets and initiates translation of a subset of mRNAs that control cell proliferation, including those involved in cell cycle progression, differentiation, and apoptosis. It uses different RNA stem-loop binding mechanisms to either activate or repress translation of these specific mRNAs.
EIF3A is also known as EIF3, EIF3S10, P167, TIF32, eIF3-p170, eIF3-theta, p180, p185.
