EIF2A and infection: Finally, as mentioned above, the HCV IRES has the ability to operate when eIF2 is inactivated by phosphorylation of its alpha subunit, yet during infection HCV actively suppresses eIF2α phosphorylation (Garaigorta and Chisari, 2009; Vyas et al., 2003); why has the virus evolved an IRES capable of eIF2-independent initiation if that condition is suppressed during infection?