Reactive oxygen species
Protein synthesis occurs in both the cytoplasm of the cell as well as in the luminal space of mitochondria, the cytoplasmic organelle responsible for producing the cell's energy. This is done through an enzymatic pathway that generates highly oxidized molecules called reactive oxygen species, for example hydrogen peroxide. Reactive oxygen species can react with and cause damage to many critical parts of the cell including membranes, proteins, and DNA. Trichothecene inhibition of protein synthesis in the mitochondria allows reactive oxygen species to build up in the cell which inevitably leads to oxidative stress and induction of the programmed cell death pathway, apoptosis.