The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-/ (PPAR-/) in the pathogenesis of colon cancer remains highly controversial. This study specifically silenced the PPAR- expression in three colon cancer cell lines with different metastatic potentials. Although PPAR-knockdown resulted in more malignant morphological changes, bigger colony sizes and lower carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) secretion, and enhanced the cell-fibronectin adhesion, cell invasion and migration were unaffected. These effects were stronger in poorly metastatic cell lines compared with highly metastatic ones. Simultaneously, PPAR-knockdown decreased the mRNAs encoding adipocyte differentiation-related protein and liver fatty acid binding protein, and increased the mRNA of ILK, whereas the mRNAs encoding integrin-1 and angiopoietin-like 4 were unchanged. Using immunohistochemistry, we determined that the intensity of PPAR- expression was stronger in rectal cancers with better differentiation than in those with poor differentiation, and was stronger in early-stage tumors than in advanced ones. Together, these findings consistently indicate that PPAR- may facilitate differentiation and inhibit the cell-fibronectin adhesion of colon cancer, having a role as an inhibitor in the carcinogenesis and progression of colorectal cancer. Interestingly PPAR- seems to have a more important role in poorly metastatic cells than in highly metastatic ones.