Figure 6.

The role of PKCδ in inducing sustained Cer accumulation in mitochondrial apoptosis. Anticancer drugs induce early and transient de novo Cer synthesis. Generated Cer induces PKCδ mitochondrial translocation, which promotes cyt c release and caspase-9 activation dependent on PKCδ activity. Caspase-9 in turn induces the late and sustained Cer accumulation derived from SM by activating nSMase, which further promotes PKCδ mitochondrial translocation, thus providing an amplifying signal to mitochondria in a feedback loop of caspase activation.