背景资料：This gene encodes natriuretic peptide receptor B, one of two integral membrane receptors for natriuretic peptides. Both NPR1 and NPR2 contain five functional domains: an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a single membrane-spanning region, and intracellularly a protein kinase homology domain, a helical hinge region involved in oligomerization, and a carboxyl-terminal guanylyl cyclase catalytic domain. The protein is the primary receptor for C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), which upon ligand binding exhibits greatly increased guanylyl cyclase activity.