EIF2A and viral infectious disease: Results presented here show that the shut off of protein synthesis and the apoptotic response induced by the expression of the IBDV VP2 gene in HeLa cells [26] are preceded by a conspicuous phosphorylation of two host cell polypeptides, namely PKR and eIF2α, that play a critical role in the cellular responses against different types of stress, including those caused by viral infections [38].