背景资料：This gene encodes a cell surface receptor for macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP) with tyrosine kinase activity. The mature form of this protein is a heterodimer of disulfide-linked alpha and beta subunits, generated by proteolytic cleavage of a single-chain precursor. The beta subunit undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation upon stimulation by MSP. This protein is expressed on the ciliated epithelia of the mucociliary transport apparatus of the lung, and together with MSP, thought to be involved in host defense. Alternative splicing generates multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms that may undergo similar proteolytic processing.