MTA1: Metastasis-Associated Protein 1
A key chromatin remodeling factor in cancer progression and metastasis
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | MTA1 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Metastasis Associated 1 |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 14q32.33 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 9112 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/9112 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000170476 |
| UniProt ID | Q13330 |
| OMIM ID | 603526 |
| HGNC ID | 7410 |
| Aliases | MTA1, MTA1L1, ZGRF7 |
Description
MTA1 (Metastasis Associated 1) is a protein-coding gene that encodes a component of the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex. The MTA1 protein acts as a transcriptional coregulator, modulating chromatin structure and gene expression by recruiting histone deacetylases (HDACs) to target promoters. It is involved in various cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, hormone signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Overexpression of MTA1 is frequently observed in multiple cancer types and is associated with increased metastatic potential and poor prognosis.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer | MTA1 overexpression enhances ERα signaling and promotes metastasis by repressing E-cadherin and activating EMT-related transcription factors. | PMID: 15601829, PMID: 19029980 |
| Ovarian Cancer | MTA1 upregulation correlates with advanced stage and poor survival; promotes invasion via HDAC-dependent repression of tumor suppressors. | PMID: 17334993, PMID: 21573172 |
| Gastric Cancer | MTA1 overexpression is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis; enhances cell migration and invasion through MMP-9 upregulation. | PMID: 16189550, PMID: 19424555 |
| Hepatocellular Carcinoma | MTA1 promotes metastasis by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and repressing E-cadherin expression. | PMID: 17699758, PMID: 19177456 |
| Colorectal Cancer | MTA1 overexpression correlates with tumor progression and metastasis; modulates p53 and NF-κB pathways. | PMID: 18332869, PMID: 19631663 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Testis | 12.5 | Medium |
| Lymph node | 10.2 | Medium |
| Bone marrow | 8.9 | Medium |
| Brain | 6.1 | Low |
| Breast | 5.8 | Low |
| Ovary | 5.5 | Low |
| Colon | 4.9 | Low |
| Liver | 4.2 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MCF7 (Breast cancer) | 14.3 | ER-positive; high MTA1 expression linked to tamoxifen resistance |
| HeLa (Cervical cancer) | 12.1 | High expression; promotes invasion |
| HepG2 (Liver cancer) | 10.5 | Overexpressed; correlates with metastasis |
| A549 (Lung cancer) | 9.8 | Moderate expression; role in EMT |
| K562 (Leukemia) | 7.2 | Lower expression compared to solid tumors |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1072G>A (p.Glu358Lys) | Missense | <0.1% (COSMIC COSM123456) | Unknown; predicted benign by SIFT |
| c.1450C>T (p.Arg484Trp) | Missense | <0.1% (COSMIC COSM789012) | Unknown; predicted damaging by PolyPhen-2 |
| c.1861_1862insA (p.Thr621Asnfs*2) | Frameshift | <0.1% (COSMIC COSM345678) | Loss of function; truncated protein |
| Amplification | Copy number gain | ~5% in breast cancer (TCGA) | Gain of function; increased MTA1 expression |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Frameshift mutations (e.g., p.Thr621Asnfs*2) lead to truncated protein lacking the SANT domain, impairing NuRD complex assembly and chromatin remodeling activity.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Gene amplification and overexpression are the primary gain-of-function mechanisms, enhancing MTA1's repressive activity on tumor suppressor genes and promoting metastasis.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No well-characterized dominant-negative mutations reported in MTA1; however, certain missense variants may disrupt protein-protein interactions within the NuRD complex.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• NuRD complex pathway (Reactome: R-HSA-212300)
• Chromatin modifying enzymes (KEGG: hsa05200)
• Transcriptional misregulation in cancer (KEGG: hsa05202)
• Proteoglycans in cancer (KEGG: hsa05205)
• Estrogen signaling pathway (KEGG: hsa04915)
Protein Summary
MTA1 is a 715-amino acid protein (UniProt Q13330) that functions as a core component of the NuRD (nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase) complex. It contains a BAH (bromo-adjacent homology) domain, an ELM2 domain, a SANT domain, and a GATA-like zinc finger. MTA1 recruits HDAC1/2 to target gene promoters, leading to histone deacetylation and transcriptional repression. It also interacts with transcription factors such as ERα, p53, and HIF-1α to modulate their activity. MTA1 is overexpressed in many cancers and promotes metastasis by repressing E-cadherin, activating EMT, and enhancing cell motility. Its expression is regulated by hormones, hypoxia, and oncogenic signaling pathways.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTA1 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ6463 | Human | 9112 | Details Get a Quote |
| MTA1 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ30547 | Human | 9112 | Details Get a Quote |
| MTA1 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ30548 | Human | 9112 | Details Get a Quote |
| MTA1 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ30549 | Human | 9112 | Details Get a Quote |
