Background
MTSS1 (metastasis suppressor 1), also known as MIM, MIMA or MIMB, is a 755 amino acid protein that contains one Actin-binding WH2 (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein homology-2) domain and one IMD domain. Expressed in a variety of tissues including Tis, thymus, prostate, spleen, colon, uterus and blood, MTSS1 is thought to bind to Actin and, via this binding, may affect the dynamics of the cytoskeleton. Through its association with the cytoskeleton, MTSS1 plays a role in controlling the progression and metastasis of carcinomas in various organ sites throughout the body and, when expressed at normal levels, functions as a tumor suppressor. Overexpression of MTSS1 results in the formation of abnormal actin structures, an event that may lead to tumorigenesis. Three isoforms of MTSS1 exist due to alternative splicing events.