這個基因是neuregulin基因家族的一員這個基因家族編碼跨膜酪氨酸激酶受體ERBB3和erb4的配體-表皮生長因子受體家族的成員配體結合激活細胞內信號級聯和誘導細胞反應，包括增殖、遷移、分化和存活或凋亡。這個基因編碼神經調節蛋白3（nrg3）。NRG3已被證明能激活其同源受體ERBB4的酪氨酸磷酸化，并被認為通過ERBB4的信號傳導影響神經母細胞的增殖、遷移和分化NRG3在胚胎發育過程中也促進乳腺分化。連鎖研究表明該基因是精神分裂癥和分裂情感障礙的易感位點。選擇性剪接導致編碼不同亞型的多個轉錄變體。已描述了其他轉錄變體，但其生物學有效性尚未得到驗證。[由RefSeq提供，2009年9月]
This gene is a member of the neuregulin gene family. This gene family encodes ligands for the transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors ERBB3 and ERBB4 - members of the epidermal growth factor receptor family. Ligand binding activates intracellular signaling cascades and the induction of cellular responses including proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival or apoptosis. This gene encodes neuregulin 3 (NRG3). NRG3 has been shown to activate the tyrosine phosphorylation of its cognate receptor, ERBB4, and is thought to influence neuroblast proliferation, migration and differentiation by signalling through ERBB4. NRG3 also promotes mammary differentiation during embryogenesis. Linkage studies have implicated this gene as a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms. Additional transcript variants have been described but their biological validity has not been verified.[provided by RefSeq, Sep 2009]