ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (eIF6) expression on invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.MethodsImmunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of eIF6 protein in colorectal cancer tissues and paracancerous tissue. Sw837 cell lines with overexpression/knockdown eIF6 were constructed by transfection and divided into control group, empty plasmid group, overexpression group and knockdown group respectively. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) were used to verify the overexpression/knockdown of eIF6 in sw837 cells. WB was used to detect the expressions of β-catenin, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), anaphase promoting complex (APC), zinc finger transcription factor SNAI (Snail), E-cadherin and Vimentin. Transwell invasion test, Scratch test and subcutaneous tumorigenesis test were used to detect the migration ability, invasion ability and tumorigenesis ability in vivo of cells. The pathological changes of the transplanted tumor were observed by HE staining.ResultsThe positive expression rate of eIF6 protein in cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues (P<0.05). Compared with those in the control group, the protein expression levels of β-catenin, Snail and Vimentin in the overexpression group were higher, the protein levels of GSK-3β, APC and E-cadherin were lower, the ability of cell migration and invasion, and tumorigenicity in vivo were enhanced, the difference were statistically significant (P<0.05). The protein expression levels of β-catenin, Snail and Vimentin were lower in knockdown group, the protein levels of GSK-3β, APC and E-cadherin were higher, the ability of cell migration and invasion, and tumorigenicity in vivo were reduced, the difference were statistically significant (P<0.05).ConclusioneIF6 may promote the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.