Receptor tyrosine kinase which binds promiscuously GPI-anchored ephrin-A family ligands 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. Among GPI-anchored ephrin-A ligands, EFNA5 is a cognate/functional ligand for EPHA7 and their interaction regulates brain development modulating cell-cell adhesion and repulsion. Has a repellent activity on axons and is for instance involved in the guidance of corticothalamic axons and in the proper topographic mapping of retinal axons to the colliculus. May also regulate brain development through a caspase(CASP3)-dependent proapoptotic activity. Forward signaling may result in activation of components of the ERK signaling pathway including MAP2K1, MAP2K2, MAPK1 AND MAPK3 which are phosphorylated upon activation of EPHA7 (By similarity). ATP + L-tyrosyl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-tyrosyl-[protein] Heterotetramer upon binding of the ligand. The heterotetramer is composed of an ephrin dimer and a receptor dimer. Oligomerization is probably required to induce biological responses (By similarity). Within the nervous system, expression is restricted to prosomeres 1 and 2 in the diencephalon and all the rhombomeres in the hindbrain during segmentation stages. Later on, a superimposed pattern appears that correlates with the formation of several axonal tracts. In the somitic mesoderm, the expression correlates with segmentation and the guidance of both neural crest and motor axons through the sclerotomes. Phosphorylated. Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. Tyr protein kinase family. Ephrin receptor subfamily.