Lasonolide A, a novel polyketide-derived macrolide, was previously identified from an extract of the marine sponge Forcepia sp. in an assay for protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors. Cytotoxicity testing and profiling of lasonolide A in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) 60 cell panel screen revealed that it was potent toward a broad range of cell lines and also suggested a unique mechanism of action. Contrary to expected results, we found lasonolide A to be a strong activator of PKC in Panc-1 pancreatic carcinoma cells. Downstream mitogen-activated protein kinases, ERK 1/2 and p38 were also rapidly phosphorylated in response to lasonolide A, as was Akt. Microscopy studies revealed that lasonolide A induced blebbing and contraction of the cells within minutes of exposure, and the eventual loss of adherence. However, membrane integrity was maintained and the effects were reversible if lasonolide A was washed from the cells after their loss of adherence. Pretreatment of cells with a myosin II inhibitor, blebbistatin, slowed the early onset, but did not prevent the morphological effects of lasonolide A. Cells stained for actin filaments showed some reduction in stress fiber structure after lasonolide A exposure; however, it did not affect the polymerization of purified actin in vitro. Bisindolemaleimide, a PKC inhibitor, and wortmannin, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase; inhibitor, did not reduce lasonolide A-induced contraction or blebbing or the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, although Akt phosphorylation was prevented by wortmannin pretreatment. Our results indicate that lasonolide A activates multiple signal transduction pathways and suggest that the origin is upstream of PKC.