We have recently demonstrated that osteopontin (OPN) induces nuclear factor B (NF B)-mediated promatrix metalloproteinase-2 activation through I B␣/ I B␣ kinase (IKK) signaling pathways. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which OPN regulates promatrix metalloproteinase-9 (pro-MMP-9) activation, MMP-9-dependent cell motility, and tumor growth and the involvement of upstream kinases in regulation of these processes in murine melanoma cells are not well defined. Here we report that OPN induced ␣ v  3 integrinmediated phosphorylation and activation of nuclear factor-inducing kinase (NIK) and enhanced the interaction between phosphorylated NIK and IKK␣/ in B16F10 cells. Moreover, NIK was involved in OPN-induced phosphorylations of MEK-1 and ERK1/2 in these cells. OPN induced NIK-dependent NF B activation through ERK/ IKK␣/-mediated pathways. Furthermore OPN enhanced NIK-regulated urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) secretion, uPA-dependent pro-MMP-9 activation, cell motility, and tumor growth. Wild type NIK, IKK␣/, and ERK1/2 enhanced and kinase-negative NIK (mut NIK), dominant negative IKK␣/ (dn IKK␣/), and dn ERK1/2 suppressed the OPN-induced NF B activation, uPA secretion, pro-MMP-9 activation, cell motility, and chemoinvasion. Pretreatment of cells with anti-MMP-2 antibody along with anti-MMP-9 antibody drastically inhibited the OPN-induced cell migration and chemoinvasion, whereas cells pretreated with anti-MMP-2 antibody had no effect on OPN-induced pro-MMP-9 activation suggesting that OPN induces pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-9 activations through two distinct pathways. The level of active MMP-9 in the OPN-induced tumor was higher compared with control. To our knowledge, this is the first report that NIK plays a crucial role in OPN-induced NF B activation, uPA secretion, and pro-MMP-9 activation through MAPK/IKK␣/-mediated pathways, and all of these ultimately control the cell motility, invasiveness, and tumor growth.