The protein encoded by this gene is primarily found in the nucleolus, where it can bind to the 5' UTR of the insulin-like growth factor II leader 3 mRNA and may repress translation of insulin-like growth factor II during late development. The encoded protein contains several KH domains, which are important in RNA binding and are known to be involved in RNA synthesis and metabolism.Tissue specificity: Expressed in fetal liver, fetal lung, fetal kidney, fetal thymus, fetal placenta, fetal follicles of ovary and gonocytes of testis, growing oocytes, spermatogonia and semen (at protein level). Expressed in cervix adenocarcinoma, in testicular, pancreatic and renal-cell carcinomas (at protein level). Expressed ubiquitously during fetal development at 8 and 14 weeks of gestation. Expressed in ovary, testis, brain, placenta, pancreatic cancer tissues and pancreatic cancer cell lines .IMP-3 is a marker for carcinomas and high-grade dysplastic lesions of pancreatic ductal epithelium.