Receptor tyrosine kinase which binds promiscuously membrane-bound ephrin-A family ligands residing on adjacent cells, leading to contact-dependent bidirectional signaling into neighboring cells. The signaling pathway downstream of the receptor is referred to as forward signaling while the signaling pathway downstream of the ephrin ligand is referred to as reverse signaling. Activated by the ligand ephrin-A1/EFNA1 regulates migration, integrin-mediated adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of cells. Regulates cell adhesion and differentiation through DSG1/desmoglein-1 and inhibition of the ERK1/ERK2 (MAPK3/MAPK1, respectively) signaling pathway. May also participate in UV radiation-induced apoptosis and have a ligand-independent stimulatory effect on chemotactic cell migration. During development, may function in distinctive aspects of pattern formation and subsequently in development of several fetal tissues. Involved for instance in angiogenesis, in early hindbrain development and epithelial proliferation and branching morphogenesis during mammary gland development. Engaged by the ligand ephrin-A5/EFNA5 may regulate lens fiber cells shape and interactions and be important for lens transparency development and maintenance. With ephrin-A2/EFNA2 may play a role in bone remodeling through regulation of osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis.

• GO:0032863 : activation of Rac GTPase activity
• GO:0001525 : angiogenesis
• GO:0006915 : apoptotic process
• GO:0048320 : axial mesoderm formation
• GO:0046849 : bone remodeling
• GO:0060444 : branching involved in mammary gland duct morphogenesis
• GO:0007155 : cell adhesion
• GO:0060326 : cell chemotaxis
• GO:0048013 : ephrin receptor signaling pathway
• GO:0030216 : keratinocyte differentiation
• GO:0070309 : lens fiber cell morphogenesis
• GO:0033598 : mammary gland epithelial cell proliferation
• GO:0051898 : negative regulation of protein kinase B signaling cascade
• GO:0021915 : neural tube development
• GO:0030182 : neuron differentiation
• GO:0060035 : notochord cell development
• GO:0014028 : notochord formation
• GO:0001649 : osteoblast differentiation
• GO:0030316 : osteoclast differentiation
• GO:0090004 : positive regulation of establishment of protein localization to plasma membrane
• GO:0043491 : protein kinase B signaling cascade
• GO:0045765 : regulation of angiogenesis
• GO:0043535 : regulation of blood vessel endothelial cell migration
• GO:0033628 : regulation of cell adhesion mediated by integrin
• GO:0070372 : regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade
• GO:0010591 : regulation of lamellipodium assembly
• GO:0070848 : response to growth factor stimulus
• GO:0001501 : skeletal system development
• GO:0001570 : vasculogenesis

Source: The Gene Ontology Consortium. Gene ontology: tool for the unification of biology. Nat. Genet.. May 2000;25(1):25-9.
World Wide Web URL: http://www.geneontology.org/

• OMIM:176946 : Cataract, posterior polar, 1 (OMIM:116600 )
• OMIM:176946 : Cataract, age-related cortical, 2 (OMIM:613020 )

Source: Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, OMIM®. McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD), May, 2012.
World Wide Web URL: http://omim.org/