Background of the antigen
SEMA6A belongs to a subfamily characterized by an extracellular semaphorin domain, a transmembrane domain, and a long cytoplasmic tail. Members of this class can repel sympathetic and dorsal root ganglion axons in vitro, consistent with a traditional role as guidance signals. However, the length of the cytoplasmic tail, which includes an EVL-binding site in SEMA6A and an Src-binding site in SEMA6B, suggests that these semaphorins may also function as receptors. SEMA6A is expressed in developing neural tissue and is required for proper development of the thalamocortical projection. SEMA6A directly links the Ena/VASP and the semaphorin protein families since the SEMA6A protein is capable of selective binding to the protein EVL (Ena/VASP-like protein.
