The protein encoded by this gene is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttle protein for the translation initiation factor eIF4E. This shuttle protein interacts with the importin alpha-beta complex to mediate nuclear import of eIF4E. It is predominantly cytoplasmic; its own nuclear import is regulated by a nuclear localization signal and nuclear export signals. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2009].