# EIF3E

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/eif3e/  
OnCo record `eif3e` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

EIF3E (Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit E) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Cervical cancer, Breast cancer and Lung cancer.

## Summary

Component of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF-3) complex, which is required for several steps in the initiation of protein synthesis. The eIF-3 complex associates with the 40S ribosome and facilitates the recruitment of eIF-1, eIF-1A, eIF-2:GTP:methionyl-tRNAi and eIF-5 to form the 43S pre-initiation complex (43S PIC). The eIF-3 complex stimulates mRNA recruitment to the 43S PIC and scanning of the mRNA for AUG recognition.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.64 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.92, genetic association 0.17, somatic mutation 0.81). IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit E; Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit E; eIF3-p48; INT6; EIF3S6
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: EIF3E
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Component of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF-3) complex, which is required for several steps in the initiation of protein synthesis. The eIF-3 complex associates with the 40S ribosome and facilitates the recruitment of eIF-1, eIF-1A, eIF-2:GTP:methionyl-tRNAi and eIF-5 to form the 43S pre-initiation complex (43S PIC). The eIF-3 complex stimulates mRNA recruitment to the 43S PIC and scanning of the mRNA for AUG recognition. The eIF-3 complex is also required for disassembly and recycling of post-termination ribosomal complexes and subsequently prevents premature joining of the 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits prior to initiation. The eIF-3 complex specifically targets and initiates translation of a subset of mRNAs involved in cell proliferation, including cell cycling, differentiation and apoptosis, and uses different modes of RNA stem-loop binding to exert either translational activation or repression. Required for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD); may act in conjunction with UPF2 to divert mRNAs from translation to the NMD pathway. Location: Cytoplasm; Nucleus, PML body (UniProt). Locus 8q23.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Cervical cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (CESC); Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.53 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); Lung cancer: Open Targets association 0.51 with lung cancer (MONDO_0008903)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:3277: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:3277
- UniProt P60228: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P60228/entry
- NCBI Gene 3646: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3646
- Ensembl ENSG00000104408: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000104408

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Cervical cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/cervical/), [Lung cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/lung-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/eif3e.json