Figure 1.

Propranolol blocks autophagy in PC3 cells and induces a massive accumulation of autophagosomes. PC3 cells were untreated (C) or treated with 100 µM propranolol (P) for 24 h or 48 h. (a) As compared to control (C), P treatment induces an increase of LC3-II and p62 in PC3 cells both at 24 and 48 h. Western blot quantifications were normalized on Erk1/2, used as control for protein loading. Results are expressed as fold increase compared to the control condition. (b,c) Autophagy flux was investigated by the transient overexpression of a LC3-eGFP-mCherry construct combined, or not, with P treatment (100 µM) for 24 or 48 hours. (b) Graphical representation of the percentages of early/late autophagosomes, after 48 h of treatment, as determined in at least 24 cells per condition (mean ± s.d.). Representative fluorescent microscopy photographs of each condition are shown in (c) (scale bars = 10 µm).