GHITM (also known as MICS1) appears to be ubiquitiously expressed in mammalian cells and expression has also been observed in various cancer cell lines []. It is involved in maintenance of mitochondrial morphology and apoptotic release of cytochrome c []. It is closely related to the BAX inhibitor (BI)-1 like family of small transmembrane proteins, which have been shown to have an anti-apoptotic effect [, , ].
