Fig. 4.

Ser757-phosphorylation of ULK1 measured by immunostaining with phosphospecific antibody in motor neurons of 3-mo-old G85R SOD1YFP mice is reduced relative to WT SOD1YFP. Spinal cord sections were stained with an antibody specific to Ser757-phosphorylated ULK1 and Alexa Fluor 568 secondary antibody. The sections were treated with copper sulfate to remove lipofuscin auto-fluorescence then imaged in the red channel. A gallery of images of motor neurons is shown, indicating that in most motor neuron cell bodies of the G85R SOD1YFP mice there is reduced signal for phosphor–ULK1–Ser757, relative to that in WT SOD1YFP. This parallels the apparent activation of autophagy in these cells (see text for discussion).