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。编码蛋白通过切割激活mmp2。该基因曾被称为MT-MMP2，但被重命名为MT-MMP3或MMP16[由RefSeq提供，2010年10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. The encoded protein activates MMP2 by cleavage. This gene was once referred to as MT-MMP2, but was renamed as MT-MMP3 or MMP16. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2010]