EFNA1 Gene

HGNC Family	Ephrins (EFN)
Name	ephrin-A1
Description	This gene encodes a member of the ephrin (EPH) family. The ephrins and EPH-related receptors comprise the largest subfamily of receptor protein-tyrosine kinases and have been implicated in mediating developmental events, especially in the nervous system and in erythropoiesis. Based on their structures and sequence relationships, ephrins are divided into the ephrin-A (EFNA) class, which are anchored to the membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol linkage, and the ephrin-B (EFNB) class, which are transmembrane proteins. This gene encodes an EFNA class ephrin which binds to the EPHA2, EPHA4, EPHA5, EPHA6, and EPHA7 receptors. Two transcript variants that encode different isoforms were identified through sequence analysis. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Ephrin‐A1 (EFNA1) is a membrane‐bound ligand that plays multifaceted roles in modulating cell signaling in both the tumor cells and the surrounding endothelium. As a high‐affinity binding partner for the EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase, EFNA1 is instrumental in regulating angiogenesis by promoting endothelial cell survival, migration, and capillary sprouting in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)–mediated signals."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "1", "end_ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In cancer, EFNA1 not only participates in bidirectional signaling that influences tumor cell proliferation and invasion but also establishes a negative feedback loop with EphA2, whereby ligand engagement attenuates oncogenic Ras-MAPK signals and downregulates receptor expression, thereby suppressing tumor cell motility and invasion."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "4", "end_ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Moreover, post-transcriptional regulation of EFNA1—exemplified by long noncoding RNAs such as GMAN that enhance ephrin-A1 translation—further implicates its role in metastatic progression, as elevated EFNA1 protein levels correlate with increased invasive potential and poorer clinical outcomes in select cancers."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "7"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In addition, studies in fibroblast and other non-endothelial cell models have highlighted that EFNA1 can mediate cell adhesion and cytoskeletal reorganization via FAK- and p130Cas-dependent mechanisms, suggesting context-specific roles that extend beyond its vascular functions."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "9"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Finally, emerging evidence indicates that EFNA1 can exist as a soluble, monomeric ligand that remains functionally active, capable of triggering EphA2 internalization and signal attenuation, thereby offering a promising therapeutic avenue for modulating aberrant Eph signaling in cancer."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "10"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nikki Cheng, Dana M Brantley, Hua Liu, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Blockade of EphA receptor tyrosine kinase activation inhibits vascular endothelial cell growth factor-induced angiogenesis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Cancer Res (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12496364"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12496364"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Dana M Brantley, Nikki Cheng, Erin J Thompson, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Soluble Eph A receptors inhibit tumor angiogenesis and progression in vivo."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oncogene (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/sj.onc.1205679"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1205679"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12370823"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12370823"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Khalid Salaita, Pradeep M Nair, Rebecca S Petit, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Restriction of receptor movement alters cellular response: physical force sensing by EphA2."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Science (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1126/science.1181729"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1181729"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "20223987"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20223987"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jill Wykosky, Waldemar Debinski "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The EphA2 receptor and ephrinA1 ligand in solid tumors: function and therapeutic targeting."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Cancer Res (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-08-0244"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-08-0244"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19074825"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19074825"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Madhu Macrae, Richard M Neve, Pablo Rodriguez-Viciana, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "A conditional feedback loop regulates Ras activity through EphA2."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cancer Cell (2005)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.ccr.2005.07.005"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2005.07.005"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16098464"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16098464"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mark S Duxbury, Hiromichi Ito, Michael J Zinner, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ligation of EphA2 by Ephrin A1-Fc inhibits pancreatic adenocarcinoma cellular invasiveness."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biochem Biophys Res Commun (2004)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.06.054"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.06.054"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15249202"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15249202"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Wei Zhuo, Yiman Liu, Shuang Li, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Long Noncoding RNA GMAN, Up-regulated in Gastric Cancer Tissues, Is Associated With Metastasis in Patients and Promotes Translation of Ephrin A1 by Competitively Binding GMAN-AS."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Gastroenterology (2019)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1053/j.gastro.2018.10.054"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2018.10.054"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "30445010"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30445010"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oddbjørn Straume, Lars Andreas Akslen "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Importance of vascular phenotype by basic fibroblast growth factor, and influence of the angiogenic factors basic fibroblast growth factor/fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 and ephrin-A1/EphA2 on melanoma progression."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Pathol (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/S0002-9440(10)64922-X"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9440(10"}, {"type": "t", "text": "64922-X) PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "11891198"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11891198"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nigel Carter, Tetsuya Nakamoto, Hisamaru Hirai, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "EphrinA1-induced cytoskeletal re-organization requires FAK and p130(cas)."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Cell Biol (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/ncb823"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb823"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12134157"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12134157"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Wykosky, E Palma, D M Gibo, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Soluble monomeric EphrinA1 is released from tumor cells and is a functional ligand for the EphA2 receptor."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oncogene (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/onc.2008.328"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2008.328"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18794797"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18794797"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	LERK-1, EPLG1, ECKLG, TNFAIP4, LERK1, EFL1, B61
Proteins	EFNA1_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	1942
API
Download Associations
Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

EFNA1 has 10,349 functional associations with biological entities spanning 8 categories (molecular profile, organism, chemical, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA) extracted from 112 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for EFNA1 from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

EFNA1 Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq	tissue samples with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Proteomics	Cell lines associated with EFNA1 protein from the CCLE Cell Line Proteomics dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with EFNA1 gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of EFNA1 gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of EFNA1 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of EFNA1 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of EFNA1 gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing EFNA1 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with EFNA1 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with EFNA1 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with EFNA1 gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with EFNA1 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with EFNA1 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by EFNA1 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases associated with EFNA1 gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with EFNA1 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with EFNA1 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with EFNA1 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with EFNA1 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at EFNA1 gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of EFNA1 gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of EFNA1 gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing EFNA1 from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset.
	GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of EFNA1 gene relative to other cell lines from the GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations	biological terms co-occuring with EFNA1 gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset.
	GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing EFNA1 from the GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures dataset.
	GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Diseases	disease perturbations changing expression of EFNA1 gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Diseases dataset.
	GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations	gene perturbations changing expression of EFNA1 gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Gene Perturbations dataset.
	GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Kinase Perturbations	kinase perturbations changing expression of EFNA1 gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Kinase Perturbations dataset.