CTIF
Description
The CTIF (cap binding complex dependent translation initiation factor) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 18.
CTIF plays a critical role in the initial round of mRNA translation, known as the 'pioneer round', which occurs during or immediately after mRNA is exported from the nucleus. This process is facilitated by the cap-binding complex (CBC), and CTIF interacts with the NCBP1/CBP80 component of CBC. It then recruits the 40S ribosomal subunit via eIF3, initiating protein synthesis. Notably, CTIF is not involved in the subsequent 'steady-state' translation, where CBC is replaced by eIF4E. Furthermore, CTIF is essential for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), a process that eliminates faulty mRNAs. The pioneer round of translation, mediated by CBC, is central to NMD, and CTIF's role in this round is crucial for NMD function.
CTIF is also known as Gm672, KIAA0427.
