该基因编码受体酪氨酸激酶的表皮生长因子受体（egfr）家族的一个成员。这种膜结合蛋白具有神经调节蛋白结合域，但不具有活性激酶域。因此，它可以结合这个配体，但不能通过蛋白磷酸化将信号传递到细胞中。然而，它确实与其他具有激酶活性的表皮生长因子受体家族成员形成异二聚体。异二聚化导致激活导致细胞增殖或分化的途径。这种基因的扩增和/或其蛋白的过度表达在许多癌症中都有报道，包括前列腺癌、膀胱癌和乳腺癌。编码不同亚型的替代转录剪接变异体已经被描述。一种亚型缺乏膜间区，在细胞外分泌。这种形式调节膜结合形式的活性。此外，还报告了其他剪接变体，但尚未对其进行彻底的表征。
This gene encodes a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of receptor tyrosine kinases. This membrane-bound protein has a neuregulin binding domain but not an active kinase domain. It therefore can bind this ligand but not convey the signal into the cell through protein phosphorylation. However, it does form heterodimers with other EGF receptor family members which do have kinase activity. Heterodimerization leads to the activation of pathways which lead to cell proliferation or differentiation. Amplification of this gene and/or overexpression of its protein have been reported in numerous cancers, including prostate, bladder, and breast tumors. Alternate transcriptional splice variants encoding different isoforms have been characterized. One isoform lacks the intermembrane region and is secreted outside the cell. This form acts to modulate the activity of the membrane-bound form. Additional splice variants have also been reported, but they have not been thoroughly characterized.