CDB15:0000517 EFNB2 — EPHA6

ABSTRACT: No ligand has hitherto been designated for the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase family member, EphB6. Here, expression of an EphB6 ligand in the pro-B leukemic cell line, Reh, is demonstrated by binding of soluble EphB6-Fc fusion protein to the Reh cells. The ligand belongs to the subgroup of membrane spanning ligands, as suggested by the fact that phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C treatment did not abrogate binding of EphB6-Fc. Two transmembrane Eph receptor ligands, ephrin-B1 and ephrin-B2, were identified in Reh cells. Analysis of EphB6-Fc fusion protein binding to ephrin-B1 or ephrin-B2 transfected COS cells revealed a high-affinity saturable binding between EphB6-Fc and ephrin-B2, but not with ephrin-B1. In mice, EphB6 has previously been shown to be expressed in thymus. Here, we show expression of EphB6 in human thymus, as well as the expression of ephrin-B2 in both human and mouse thymus. We conclude that ephrin-B2 may be a physiological ligand for the EphB6 receptor.