Description
EPHA4 also known as EPH receptor A4, belongs to the ephrin receptor subfamily of protein-tyrosine kinases which have been implicated in mediating developmental events, particularly in the nervous system. The EPHA4 ligand ephrin-A3 is localized to the astrocytic processes that envelop the spine. Activation of EPHA4 by ephrin-A3 induces spinal retraction and reduces spine density and inhibits the interaction distorted spine shape and organization. EPHA4-null mice possess defects in the corticospinal tract and anterior commissure indicating a model in which an ephrin ligand on the axons senses EPHA4 on spinal cord cells surrounding the corticospinal tract