UNC13C (Munc13-3) proteins form the Unc/Munc family of three, primarily brain-specific phorbol ester receptors (Munc13-1/2/3) in mammals. Munc13-1 is a component of presynaptic active zones in which it acts as an essential synaptic vesicle priming protein. In contrast to Munc13-1, which is present in most neurons throughout the rat and mouse CNS, Munc13-3 is almost exclusively expressed in the cerebellum. Munc13-3 mRNA is present in granule and Purkinje cells but absent from glia cells. Munc13-3 protein is localized to the synaptic neuropil of the cerebellar molecular layer but is not found in Purkinje cell dendrites, suggesting that Munc13-3, like Munc13-1, is a presynaptic protein at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses. UNC13C plays a role in vesicle maturation during exocytosis and in neurotransmitter release. UNC13C was frequently altered (10-22% of patients) in Gingivo-buccal oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC-GB) patients. UNC13C is predicted in regulating neurotransmitter release; alterations in UNC13C could be associated with predisposition to tobacco addiction, which might enhance the risk of oral cancer. UNC13C is a novel tumor suppressor and an essential regulator of EMT signaling pathway during OSCC progression, and thus it could be used as a target for preventing oral cancer metastasis.