EphA7

EphA7 is an EphA receptor notable for generating alternatively spliced, secreted forms that lack the transmembrane and kinase regions and act as natural antagonists of ephrin-A signaling. Full-length EphA7 is expressed during brain development, where receptor-ligand interactions contribute to axon guidance and to patterning of the retinotectal system and forebrain; in the adult it participates in neurogenesis and synaptic organization. EphA7 is also found on endothelial cells and has been reported to influence tumor angiogenesis and progression in gastric cancer and lymphoma. Recombinant EphA7 proteins, both ectodomain and kinase domain, support studies of these splicing-dependent regulatory mechanisms.