Cell surface transmembrane ligand for Eph receptors, a family of receptor tyrosine kinases which are crucial for migration, repulsion and adhesion during neuronal, vascular and epithelial development. Binds promiscuously Eph receptors residing on adjacent cells, leading to contact-dependent bidirectional signaling into neighboring cells. The signaling pathway downstream of the receptor is referred to as forward signaling while the signaling pathway downstream of the ephrin ligand is referred to as reverse signaling. Binds to receptor tyrosine kinase including EPHA4, EPHA3 and EPHB4. Together with EPHB4 plays a central role in heart morphogenesis and angiogenesis through regulation of cell adhesion and cell migration. EPHB4-mediated forward signaling controls cellular repulsion and segregation from EFNB2-expressing cells. May play a role in constraining the orientation of longitudinally projecting axons. Interacts with PDZRN3. Binds to the ephrin receptor EPHA3, EPHA4 and EPHB4 (By similarity). Expressed in inner and outer pillar cells of the organ of Corti (at protein level) (PubMed:30639848). Expressed on lateral floor plate cells, specifically on commissural axon segments that have passed through the floor plate. Expressed in cells of the retinal ganglion cell layer during retinal axon guidance to the optic disk (PubMed:7651410, PubMed:10704386). Expressed in myogenic progenitor cells (PubMed:27446912). Expressed in the floor plate throughout the period of commissural axon pathfinding (PubMed:7651410, PubMed:10704386). In myogenic progenitor cells, highly expressed during early development (11.5 dpc) and progressively repressed as developments proceeds (PubMed:27446912). Inducible phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic domain. Belongs to the ephrin family. Truncated N-terminus.