Appears to play a role in the switch from cap-dependent to IRES-mediated translation during mitosis, apoptosis and viral infection. Cleaved by some caspases and viral proteases (By similarity). Interacts with the serine/threonine protein kinases MKNK1 and MKNK2. Binds EIF4A and EIF3. Interacts with MIF4GD (By similarity). Phosphorylation; hyperphosphorylated during mitosis. This gene has been shown to be extensively edited in the liver of APOBEC1 transgenic animals. Its aberrant editing could contribute to the potent oncogenesis induced by overexpression of APOBEC1. The aberrant edited sequence, called NAT1, is likely to be a fundamental translational repressor (By similarity). Belongs to the eukaryotic initiation factor 4G family.