This gene encodes a member of the pancreatic-type of secretory ribonucleases, a subset of the ribonuclease A superfamily. The encoded endonuclease cleaves internal phosphodiester RNA bonds on the 3'-side of pyrimidine bases. It prefers poly(C) as a substrate and hydrolyzes 2',3'-cyclic nucleotides, with a pH optimum near 8.0. The encoded protein is monomeric and more commonly acts to degrade ds-RNA over ss-RNA. Alternative splicing occurs at this locus and four transcript variants encoding the same protein have been identified. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].