FIGURE 4.

Loss of LC3B results in phagosome and neutral lipid accumulation. (A) Phagosomes per 100 μm of RPE length in WT and LC3B^-/- mice (∼4 months old) at different times of day relative to light onset (LO is at 7 am); lights were turned off at 7 pm. Phagosomes were counted under masked conditions, in duplicate on 15 different areas per mouse. Values are mean ± SEM of two eyes, 15 regions per eye. ^∗∗p < 0.005, and ^∗∗∗p < 0.002. (B) β-HB released from RPE explant harvested at light onset (7 am) and assayed at 9 am in WT and LC3B^-/- mice (12–15 months old). Values are mean ± SEM from 4 individual mice. ^∗∗∗p < 0.002. (C) Representative confocal image of neutral lipid deposits detected by staining with BODIPY^493/503 in WT and LC3B^-/- RPE (18 months) nuclei (blue) stained with HOECHST, Ch – choroid. (D) Intensity of BODIPY^493/503 staining was quantified and puncta localized as indicated. Values are mean ± SEM from 3 individual mice (∼18 months), ^∗p < 0.050.