Background
This gene is a member of the Tyr protein kinase family and the epidermal growth factor receptor subfamily. It encodes a single-pass type I membrane protein with multiple cysteine rich domains, a transmembrane domain, a tyrosine kinase domain, a phosphotidylinositol-3 kinase binding site and a PDZ domain binding motif. The protein binds to and is activated by neuregulins and other factors and induces a variety of cellular responses including mitogenesis and differentiation. Multiple proteolytic events allow for the release of a cytoplasmic fragment and an extracellular fragment. Mutations in this gene have been associated with cancer. Alternatively spliced variants which encode different protein isoforms have been described; however, not all variants have been fully characterized.