HBx-directed recruitment of DNMT3A and DNMT3B to CpG island 1 within the promoter of metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) has been found to inhibit the binding of p53 to the MTA1 promoter and its p53-mediated repression, resulting in an increased expression of MTA1, enhanced invasiveness and metastasis of HCC [54]. This evidence concerns the gene MTA1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.