EIF2S1 and viral infectious disease: On the opposite side, nutrient deprivation, apoptosis and viral infections inhibit translation initiation as a consequence of activation of stress-regulated protein kinases and IFN-induced double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) that phosphorylate the eIF2 alpha subunit, preventing the assembly of the eIF2/GTP/Met-tRNA complex [9].