这个基因是neuregulin基因家族的一员这个基因家族编码跨膜酪氨酸激酶受体ERBB3和erb4的配体-表皮生长因子受体家族的成员配体结合激活细胞内信号级联和诱导细胞反应，包括增殖、迁移、分化和存活或凋亡。这个基因编码神经调节蛋白3（nrg3）。NRG3已被证明能激活其同源受体ERBB4的酪氨酸磷酸化，并被认为通过ERBB4的信号传导影响神经母细胞的增殖、迁移和分化NRG3在胚胎发育过程中也促进乳腺分化。连锁研究表明该基因是精神分裂症和分裂情感障碍的易感位点。选择性剪接导致编码不同亚型的多个转录变体。已描述了其他转录变体，但其生物学有效性尚未得到验证。[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]