This gene is deleted in the primary tumor of hepatocellular carcinoma. It maps to 8p22-p21.3, a region frequently deleted in solid tumors. It is suggested that this gene is a candidate tumor suppressor gene for human liver cancer, as well as for prostate, lung, colorectal, and breast cancers. DLC1 functions as a GTPase-activating protein specific for Rho and an activator of PLCD1 in vivo and induces morphological changes and detachment through cytoskeletal reorganization.