ephorines

Ephorines is a term that does not have a single, widely accepted definition in current scientific literature. In most reputable sources it is encountered as a misspelling or variant of other terms, or as a fictional or speculative name used in non-scholarly contexts. Because of this ambiguity, its meaning is highly dependent on the surrounding context.

The closest established term is ephrin, a family of membrane-bound ligands that activate Eph receptor tyrosine kinases. Ephrins are classified into ephrin-A proteins, which are anchored to the cell membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, and ephrin-B proteins, which are transmembrane. They participate in repulsive and attractive cues that control cell migration, tissue patterning, axon guidance, and synaptic development. Eph receptors and ephrins engage in bidirectional signaling, influencing both the signaling cells and neighboring cells.

If "ephorines" appears in a document as a proper term, it should be treated with caution unless the author provides a clear definition or citation. There is no widely recognized chemical or pharmacological class by that name in peer‑reviewed literature.

Etymology and usage notes: The spelling variation likely arises from confusion with ephrin or from creative usage in fiction. In scholarly writing, ephrin remains the correct term for the ligand family; ephorines, when used, should be defined to avoid ambiguity.