eIF4G2-mediated Translation Initiation of Histone Modifiers is Essential for Intestinal Stem Cell Maintenance and Differentiation [RNA-seq]

eIF4G2 (also known as NAT1, p97, and DAP5) is an evolutionally conserved protein homologous to the c-terminal two thirds portion of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 4G. Despite its abundant and ubiquitous expression, physiological and pathological functions of eIF4G2 are poorly understood. Here we show that acute inactivation of eIF4G2 in adult mice results in rapid weight loss with abnormalities in multiple organs. In this study, we show that eIF4G2 is critical for translation of key histone modification proteins involved in maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells. Our study underscores the importance of eIF4G2-mediated translation in multicellular organisms.