Figure 6.

Proposed mode of action for B10 cytotoxic activity. B10 triggers autophagy in an early phase, either by Akt/mTOR inhibition and/or by the mTOR-independent pathways. Progressively, B10 impairs the autophagic flux possibly by destabilizing lysosomes. In turn, the accumulation of enlarged and unstable autophagolysomes or the accumulation of undegraded material promotes the release of lysosomal enzymes into the cytoplasm. Subsequently, lysosomal proteases contribute directly or indirectly to apoptosis by caspase-3 activation and to non-apoptotic cell death by a non-selective degradation of cellular substrates