Immunolocalization of the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA4 in the adult rat central nervous system.

EphA4 is a receptor tyrosine kinase of the Eph family previously designated Cek8 in chicken, Tyro1 in rat, and Sek1 in mouse, which is preferentially expressed in the embryonic and adult nervous system. We have mapped the distribution of EphA4 in the adult rat brain and spinal cord using a polyclonal antibody raised against a synthetic carboxy-terminal peptide. Immunoblotting experiments revealed that EphA4 is widely distributed in various regions of the adult rat brain.