Prostate carcinoma is a devastating disease which is characterized by insidious early symptoms, rapid progression and a poor prognosis. Tripartite motif-containing protein 16 (TRIM16) was identified as an estrogen- and antiestrogen-regulated gene in epithelial cells stably expressing estrogen receptors. The protein encoded by this gene contains two B-box domains and a coiled-coiled region that are characteristic of the B-box zinc finger protein family. Proteins belonging to this family have been reported to be involved in a variety of biological processes including cell growth, differentiation and pathogenesis. TRIM16 expression has been detected in most tissues. However, the funtions of this gene remain to be elucidated. In the present study, immunohistochemical staining revealed that the expression of TRIM16 was decreased in prostate adenocarcinoma compared with that in normal prostate tissues. The patients with high TRIM16-expressing tumors had a significantly greater survival than those with low TRIM16-expressing tumors. Western blot analysis showed that TRIM16 was downregulated in distant metastatic cancer tissues compared with that in non-distant metastatic cancer tissues. The overexpression of TRIM16 inhibited the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells as well as inhibiting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process, whereas TRIM16 depletion enhanced these processes. Moreover, TRIM16 inhibited the Snail signaling pathway. The silencing of Snail by small interfering RNA was performed in order to determine the role of Snail in the TRIM16-mediated tumor phenotype. Taken together, these findings suggest that TRIM16 may be an important molecular target which may aid in the design of novel therapeutic agents for prostate cancer.