Figure 4.

Inhibition of MSI2 expression in DM1 TDMs restores impaired autophagic markers

(A) qRT-PCR quantification of the relative expression of the indicated genes involved in different autophagy pathway steps in DM1 and control (green dashed lines) myotubes. Statistical analyses were performed comparing DM1 versus controls. (B) Analyses of the expression of genes quantified in (A) in DM1 myotubes treated with ASOs targeting MSI2 transcripts. All comparisons for the statistical analyses were performed using their corresponding scrambled control (dashed lines). The mean of GAPDH and GPI expression was used as reference (n = 3). Quantification and representative western blots of (C) ATG4A, (D) ATG7, (E) AKT-P/AKT total protein levels, and (F) LC3-II/LC3-I ratio in DM1 TDMs treated with MSI2 targeting or scrambled ASOs at the indicated concentrations. Green dashed lines indicate protein expression levels in control myotubes. β-actin was used as an endogenous control to normalize protein levels (n = 3). The bar graphs show mean ± SEM. ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001, and ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001 according to Student’s t test.