Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A plays an important role in the binding of mRNA to the 43S preinitiation complex when protein synthesis begins. Two highly homologous forms of functional EIF4A genes, Eif4a1 and Eif4a2, have been isolated in mice; yeast cells also possess 2 EIF4A genes, TIF1 and TIF2. The murine Eif4a and yeast TIF genes appear to belong to a DEAD-box gene family, whose members exhibit extensive amino acid similarity and contain the asp-glu-ala-asp (DEAD) sequence. DEAD-box genes have been identified in species ranging from E-coli to humans. Their function appears to be related to transcriptional/translational regulation (referenced from OMIM).

2-8°C (short-term); -20°C (long-term)