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GeneE
10 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 15 days ago
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EIF2B4
eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B subunit delta
Chromosome 2 Β· 2p23.3
NCBI Gene: 8890Ensembl: ENSG00000115211.17HGNC: HGNC:3260UniProt: B4DUP5
126PubMed Papers
21Diseases
0Drugs
37Pathogenic Variants
CLINICAL
OMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
myelinationguanyl-nucleotide exchange factor activitypositive regulation of translational initiationT cell receptor signaling pathwayCACH syndromeleukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matterleukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 1leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4
✦AI Summary

EIF2B4 encodes the delta subunit of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) complex, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that catalyzes GDP-to-GTP exchange on eIF2 gamma to initiate translation 123. This GEF activity is repressed when eIF2 is phosphorylated on its alpha subunit, thereby restricting methionyl-initiator tRNA availability and globally suppressing translation 13. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), EIF2B4 is significantly upregulated and promotes tumorigenesis through GEF-dependent enhancement of STAT3 protein translation, independent of mRNA level changes 4. EIF2B4-driven STAT3 translation facilitates HCC progression, immune evasion, and resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, while EIF2B4 knockout restores antitumor immunity 4. Clinically, EIF2B4 mutations cause vanishing white matter disease (VWM/CACH syndrome), an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy characterized by progressive white matter rarefaction and cerebrospinal fluid replacement 56. A subtype, ovarioleukodystrophy, combines white matter degeneration with primary ovarian insufficiency 78. EIF2B4 variants are also identified as potential genetic risk factors in premature ovarian insufficiency 9. Neurological manifestations include ataxia, spasticity, cognitive impairment, epilepsy, and episodes of acute regression following infections or head trauma 610.

Sources cited
1
EIF2B4 catalyzes GDP-to-GTP exchange on eIF2 gamma and its GEF activity is repressed by phosphorylated eIF2
PMID: 25858979
2
EIF2B4 is a component of the eIF2B complex catalyzing nucleotide exchange on eIF2
PMID: 27023709
3
EIF2B4 GEF activity is inhibited by phosphorylated eIF2, limiting translation initiation
PMID: 31048492
4
EIF2B4 is upregulated in HCC and promotes tumor progression and immune evasion through GEF-dependent STAT3 translation
PMID: 41144132
5
EIF2B4 mutations cause vanishing white matter disease, an autosomal recessive leukoencephalopathy
PMID: 16998732
6
VWM is a recessively inherited disorder caused by eIF2B mutations presenting with progressive cerebellar ataxia and white matter loss
PMID: 14572143
7
EIF2B4 mutations can cause ovarioleukodystrophy combining white matter disease with primary ovarian insufficiency
PMID: 36597332
8
EIF2B4 variants are associated with ovarioleukodystrophy with white matter changes and ovarian dysfunction
PMID: 39139316
9
EIF2B4 variants are identified as potential genetic risk factors in premature ovarian insufficiency
PMID: 38649916
10
EIF2B4 mutations cause vanishing white matter disease presenting with refractory seizures and progressive white matter degeneration
PMID: 26043506
Disease Associationsβ“˜21
CACH syndromeOpen Targets
0.81Strong
leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matterOpen Targets
0.74Strong
leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 1Open Targets
0.73Strong
leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4Open Targets
0.66Moderate
ovarioleukodystrophyOpen Targets
0.61Moderate
congenital or early infantile CACH syndromeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
juvenile or adult CACH syndromeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
late infantile CACH syndromeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
goutOpen Targets
0.21Weak
genetic disorderOpen Targets
0.19Weak
metabolic syndromeOpen Targets
0.12Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hyperlipidemiaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
diverticular diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4UniProt
Pathogenic Variants37
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.728C>T (p.Pro243Leu)Pathogenic
not provided|Vanishing white matter disease|Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4|Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 1
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2026β†’ Residue 243
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1070G>A (p.Arg357Gln)Likely pathogenic
Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4|Vanishing white matter disease
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 357
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1465T>C (p.Tyr489His)Pathogenic
Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4|Vanishing white matter disease
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 489
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.32-1G>TLikely pathogenic
Vanishing white matter disease|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.625C>T (p.Arg209Ter)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2026β†’ Residue 209
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.481A>T (p.Lys161Ter)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 161
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.731C>T (p.Pro244Leu)Pathogenic
Vanishing white matter disease
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 244
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.806del (p.Leu269fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 269
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.31+1G>ALikely pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1183C>T (p.Leu395Phe)Likely pathogenic
Vanishing white matter disease
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 395
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.868del (p.Ser290fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 290
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.782+2T>CLikely pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.613C>G (p.Pro205Ala)Likely pathogenic
Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter 4
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 205
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.508C>T (p.Arg170Ter)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 170
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1191+2T>CLikely pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.325del (p.Glu109fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 109
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1030C>T (p.Arg344Ter)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 344
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1331_1344del (p.Cys444fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 444
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.1505C>T (p.Thr502Met)Likely pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 502
NM_001034116.2(EIF2B4):c.752dup (p.Asp251fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 251
View on ClinVar β†—
Related Genes
TYMPProtein interaction100%EIF2S2Protein interaction100%EIF2S3BProtein interaction92%EIF2B1Protein interaction85%OPN3Protein interaction79%EIF2AK4Protein interaction74%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Liver
92%
Lung
91%
Heart
72%
Bone Marrow
51%
Brain
43%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
EIF2B4TYMPEIF2S2EIF2S3BEIF2B1OPN3EIF2AK4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB7VLK Β· 2.27 Γ… Β· EM
View on RCSB β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
0.69LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.52 [0.39–0.69]
RankingsWhere EIF2B4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #3,716of 20,598
    Most Researched126 Β· top quartile
  • #1,613of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants37
  • #5,161of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.69
Genes detectedEIF2B4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
10β–Ό
1
Screening of premature ovarian insufficiency associated genes in Hungarian patients with next generation sequencing.
PMID: 38649916
BMC Med Genomics Β· 2024
1.00
2
EIF2B4 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression and immune evasion by driving STAT3 translation via a GEF-dependent mechanism.
PMID: 41144132
Cell Oncol (Dordr) Β· 2025
0.90
3
Genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity among Chinese pediatric genetic white matter disorders.
PMID: 37981684
Ital J Pediatr Β· 2023
0.80
4
The spectrum of mutations for the diagnosis of vanishing white matter disease.
PMID: 16998732
Neurol Sci Β· 2006
0.70
5
Adult Vanishing White Matter Disease with a Novel EIF2B4 Mutation.
PMID: 36597332
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Β· 2022
0.60