We found ATAD2 positively regulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in ESCC cells through upregulation of Snail, Vimentin and N-cadherin and downregulation of E-cadherin and further indicated that the pro-metastatic ability of ATAD2 is, to a large extent, depending on TGF-β signaling induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Here, TGFB1 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.