Purified hsAtg7 (1 µM), hsAtg3 (2 µM), and LC3 (5 µM) were incubated at 37 °C with liposomes (350 µM) composed of 55 mol% PE, 35 mol% POPC, 10 mol% yeast PI or 10 mol% PE, 80 mol% POPC, 10 mol% yeast PI in the presence of 1 mM ATP for the indicated

time periods, followed by SDS-PAGE and CBB-staining. Peritoneal cells from naïve mice were analyzed using transmission EM. Representative macrophages from three separate pooled isolates is shown in Fig. 1A. Healthy-looking mitochondria (small, compact, and with well-defined cristae) are seen in wild type Selleckchem Cyclopamine cells. In contrast, 12/15-LOX−/− macrophages are swollen and granular. 12/15-LOX−/− macrophages also demonstrate a large number of vacuoles (yellow arrows) and potential lysosomal storage bodies, visible as dark inclusions (red arrows). Some have double membranes, suggestive of autophagosomes (blue arrows). Far lower numbers of vacuoles and suspected lysosomal storage bodies are seen in wild type macrophages. Macrophages from both WT and 12/15-LOX−/− mice show low levels of LC3-I and II by western blot. To inhibit the turnover of autophagosomes, cells were incubated with chloroquine, which raises the lysosomal pH, and leads to inhibition of both fusion of autophagosome with lysosome and lysosomal protein degradation. As a result, we see an accumulation of LC3-II which is the membrane associated lipidated form. Macrophages

from 12/15-LOX−/− mice contained similar amounts of LC3-I and LC3-II to wild type controls,

although there was a high degree of variability between Doramapimod mice (Fig. 1B). To examine whether Atg8 is conjugated to HETE-PE or SAPE, in vitro conjugation reactions using liposomes composed of mixed PE/PC and yeast PI, where the PE consisted of DOPE, SAPE or 15-HETE-PE, were undertaken. DOPE is shown for comparison, as this is the usual lipid used for Atg8 conjugation reactions, rather than SAPE [18]. As shown in Fig. 2A, Atg8 was conjugated to HETE-PE more efficiently than SAPE. In addition, the mobility of Atg8-HETE-PE/SAPE and Atg8-DOPE was different, specifically the mobility of Atg8-HETE-PE/SAPE VAV2 was slightly lower than that of Atg8-DOPE. This is likely due to the longer fatty acid chain length at the sn2 position of SAPE/HETE-PE. A comparison of SAPE-PE versus HETE-PE was conducted three times, and densitometry scanning averaged, clearly showing HETE-PE as a preferred substrate at all time points tested versus SAPE ( Fig. 2A, right panel). This indicates that oxidized phospholipids can be conjugated to Atg8, and that introduction of the -OH at C15 leads to a more effective substrate. Next, the ability of HETE-PE to act as a substrate for the mammalian LC3 was tested using recombinant proteins. In these experiments, it was initially seen that 55 mol% SAPE and HETE-PE were similarly conjugated over 30 minutes (Fig. 2B, left panel).