MMPs are a family of Zn dependent endopeptidases, which can mediate degradation of ECM components during various physiological and pathological processes including cancer. Some ECM components, through interaction with integrin receptor and modulation of downstream signaling, are capable of regulating expression and activity of several MMPs. α₅β₁ integrin is the universally accepted receptor for the ECM component fibronectin (FN). The present review deals with the downstream signaling involved in the α₅β₁ integrin mediated modulation of expression and activity of MMPs and their effector responses in different cellular system.