基质金属蛋白酶（MMP）家族的蛋白质参与正常生理过程中细胞外基质的分解，如胚胎发育、生殖和组织重塑，以及疾病过程，如关节炎和转移大多数基质金属蛋白酶是以非活性的前蛋白形式分泌的，当被细胞外蛋白酶切割时被激活。然而，由该基因编码的蛋白质是膜型mmp（mt-mmp）亚家族的成员；该亚家族的每个成员都包含一个潜在的跨膜结构域，表明这些蛋白质是在细胞表面表达的，而不是分泌的。该蛋白激活MMP2蛋白，可能与肿瘤侵袭有关[由RefSeq提供，2008年7月]
Proteins of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family are involved in the breakdown of extracellular matrix in normal physiological processes, such as embryonic development, reproduction, and tissue remodeling, as well as in disease processes, such as arthritis and metastasis. Most MMP's are secreted as inactive proproteins which are activated when cleaved by extracellular proteinases. However, the protein encoded by this gene is a member of the membrane-type MMP (MT-MMP) subfamily; each member of this subfamily contains a potential transmembrane domain suggesting that these proteins are expressed at the cell surface rather than secreted. This protein activates MMP2 protein, and this activity may be involved in tumor invasion. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]