The NME3 gene encodes a nucleoside diphosphate kinase protein.  As a kinase, this protein plays a major role in the synthesis of nucleoside triphosphates.  It is also involved in the purine and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolic process and in the regulation of cell apoptosis.  Additionally, the NME3 protein is speculated to be involved in hematopoiesis by the inhibition of granulocyte differentiation.

The NME3 gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 16.  It spans a length of 1.4 kb and its coding sequence consists of five exons.  The gene contains putative binding sites for Sp1, AP2, MYB, ETS, GATA, and HOX1.  The protein encoded by this gene has a mass of 19 kDa and is made up of 169 amino acids.  The gene is found to be expressed highly in the nasal epithelium.  Studies of murine NME3 have found the gene to be preferentially expressed in the early stages of myeloid differentiation of highly purified CD34+ cells.