This gene encodes a member of the tachykinin family of secreted neuropeptides. The encoded preproprotein is proteolytically processed to generate the mature peptide, which is primarily expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and functions as a neurotransmitter. This peptide is the ligand for the neurokinin-3 receptor. This protein is also expressed in the outer syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta and may be associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Mutations in this gene are associated with normosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants, at least one of which encodes an isoform that is proteolytically processed. [provided by RefSeq, Feb 2016],