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.

Members of the ephrin cell-surface protein family interact with the Eph receptors, the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases, mediating bi-directional signaling during tumorogenesis and various developmental events. Surprisingly, ephrin-B2 and -B3 were recently identified as entry receptors for henipaviruses, emerging zoonotic paramyxoviruses responsible for repeated outbreaks in humans and animals in Australia, Southeast Asia, India and Bangladesh. The entry of henipavirus is initiated by the attachment of the viral G envelope glycoprotein to the host cell receptors ephrin-B2 and/or -B3, followed by activation of the F fusion protein, which triggers fusion between the viral envelop and the host membrane.