what is AXL protein
1 The Axl protein is a member of a new family of receptor tyrosine kinases, which the ligand, Gas6, a protein S-related molecule, has recently been identified. 2  We previously clarified the expression of Axl and mitogenic action of Gas6 in thyroid carcinoma cells.AS6, the product of a growth arrest specific (GAS) gene, is the ligand of the tyrosine kinase receptor Axl. GAS6 and Axl are both expressed in endothelial cells, where they are involved in many processes such as leukocyte transmigration through capillaries and neointima formation in injured vessels.