Since an association between p-ATF1-T184 level and lymph node metastasis was found, the p-ATF1-T184 influencing migration and invasion of human gastric cancer cells were tested by wound healing assay and transwell assay using gastric cancer cell lines MGC803 and BGC823 transfected with ATF1-T184 wild-type or mutant plasmids. The gene discussed is ATF1; the disease is gastric cancer.